HYDERABAD: Ignoring the warning from Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief D Srinivas and Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, about 20 ‘disappointed’ Congress ticket aspirants have filed their nominations in constituencies going to polls in Phase-II on April 23.
The ruling party’s winning chances look remote in as many as 36 constituencies (in both the phases of elections) due to rebel threat.
The PCC president has expelled 40 rebels for refusing to retire from the fray in favour of the official nominees of Phase-I poll (April 16).
Congress workers K Subrahmanyam and Devaraj have filed nomination as rebels against official candidate Assembly Deputy Speaker G Kuthuhalamma f rom Gangadhara Nellore (SC).
Jaleel Khan is standing as an Independent in Vijayawada West where the Congress' official nominee is Mallika Begum.
Sitting MLA Mutha Gopalakrishna, who has quit the Congress recently, is standing as an independent in Kakinada Urban (official nominee is Chandrasekhar Reddy).
The other rebels in the fray are DK Vishveshwara Reddy (Rajahmundry Urban), Keshava Reddy (Alur), Laxmana Rao (Kovvur), A Ananda Sekhar (Chintalapudi), Navin Nishchel (Hindupur), G Sai (Mummidivaram), V Yona (Kaikalur), K Raghupathi (Bapatla), Dileep Kumar (Pamarlu), P Babul Reddy (Kanigiri), A Venkayamma (Chirala), UV Chakravarthy (Guntur West), Raja Kasaiah (Narsaraopet).
The party leadership is doubtful about the winning chances of official nominees in segments where the rebels are strong.
Jalagam Venkata Rao (Khammam), Gaffar (Korutla), K Srisailam Yadav (Qutbullahpur), Vijaya Reddy (Serilingampally), Jogu Venkataiah (Chevella), Bakshi Naik (Khanapur), Chandra Reddy (Uppal), Raghuraj (S.Kota) and Rammohan Reddy (Parigi) are among those ter med ‘strong’ rebels posing threat to official candidates.