- Common man has a right to give his application for Congress ticket
- Ponguleti’s name in 3 segments and Tummala’s in two
- Javed’s name in first place in Khammam segment
Preparing the list of candidates to contest in Telangana assembly elections and announcing it is not only a stupendous task but also far from perfect. If one goes by the statements of state leaders, it does not seem as though the three-member list is foolproof and final.
It is regular practice of the Congress high command to keep the aspirants in good spirits by receiving applications from them and screening the list at state and AICC level. Unlike regional parties, Congress will not entertain un-necessary head-ache by announcing the list too early even before the election notification. Senior Congress leader said, “Maintaining election tempo is very important till the notification is issued. Some sort of hungama and noise in Gandhi Bhavan is very important. The halchal will give an impression that common man and ordinary party worker will have a right to apply for party ticket. It gives a good mileage among masses towards party and such practice is being followed since Jawaharlal Nehru time. There were occasions when a common man actually got the ticket. It all depends on the equations, combinations and formulations of various factors including caste, religion and money matters.”
Also read: Will Tummala’s ultimate entry into Congress polarise Kamma votes in favour of Congress?
Javed Mahammad, Khammam Town Congress president and hardcore party worker, has his name placed in the of three candidates list from Khammam assembly constituency. The other two names were that of former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and former MP P Srinivasa Reddy. Javed’s name was the first in the list of three. In the words of Javed, “I am glad to meet screening committee chairman K Muralidhar and member Mahammad Siddiqui. I explained my plans to win in the election and gave the details of voters of different castes and religions. If all things remain the same, I am confident of getting a ticket. I put in plain words on my winning chances if I was given Khammam. In case I miss the opportunity, I will work for the party candidate”.
Congress high command is very particular on winning in Telangana State after Karnataka. For it, the party will take tough decisions for the win. Three names like Sambani Chandrasekhar, Matta Dayanand and K Manavatha Roy were in Sattupalli and Ramadas Naik and Balaji Naik from Wyra constituency. Likewise, the names of former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and Rayala Neswara Rao were in Palair segment and Potla Nageswara Rao, Yadavalli Krishna and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddi in Kothagudem segment. CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s name is there only from Madhira segment. (eom)
Also read: Lawlessness prevails in Khammam Municipal Corporation Office
