HYDERABAD: Confusion prevailed in both the BJP and the Congress on Friday, the final day of nominations, due to a flurry of changes and last-minute adjustments in candidate selections and allocation of B-forms. The BJP decided not to provide the B-form to Vemulawada candidate Tula Uma, whose candidature was announced four days ago. The saffron party allocated the B-form to Ch Vikas Rao, a recent entrant and son of former governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao.
A teary-eyed Uma expressed her disappointment to the media. Sangareddy Assembly segment witnessed turmoil as the party initially declared Rajeswar Rao Deshpande as its candidate, only to allocate the B-form to Pulimamidi Raju at the eleventh hour. Expressing their displeasure, both leaders became emotional, shedding tears before the media. Deshpande even went to the extent of threatening suicide if the party did not provide the B-form, creating tension at the Sangareddy RO office.
The BJP also made sudden changes to candidates in Alampur, causing disappointment among the cadre in that segment. The party president decided to field Rajagopal instead of Maremma, who was announced earlier. The BJP released the list of 13 remaining segment candidates, including Pulimamidi Raju for Sangareddy, Y Sudharshan Reddy for Medchal and N Ramachander Rao for Malkajgiri. Last-minute replacements were made for candidates in Chandrayangutta and Wanaparthy.
In the Congress camp, last-minute candidate changes occurred in Narayankhed, where Dr P Sanjeeva Reddy replaced former MP Suresh Shetkar after discussions and compromises between the aspirants. Meanwhile, Patancheru saw a twist as Neelam Madhu, originally selected by Congress, was replaced by Kata Srinivas Goud. Madhu then joined the BSP.
Meanwhile, Patel Ramesh Reddy and his family members cried inconsolably after the Congress denied him the Suryapet ticket and allotted the same to Ramreddy Damodar Reddy. The eleventh-hour adjustments by both parties have left the candidates, aspirants and even party workers perplexed.