HYDERABAD: Disillusioned over the shortlisting of candidates, Telangana Congress BC leaders have decided to meet the party leadership and air their grievances. This comes in light of election strategist Sunil Kanugolu’s survey reports, which indicate that only 26 BC candidates are under consideration for tickets from 119 constituencies. This falls short of the promise made by the party to allocate at least 34 seats to BCs in the upcoming Assembly elections. The BC leaders are demanding the implementation of social justice within the party and are reiterating the slogan “Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq” (rights are based on proportional representation).
In the 2018 and 2014 Assembly elections, the Congress had fielded 33 and 26 BC candidates, respectively. BC leaders are concerned that this number may further decrease in the upcoming elections, all due to survey reports. They have been questioning the methodology employed by Sunil’s team to evaluate potential candidates within the party. They feel that their voices are being suppressed under the guise of these surveys.
On Sunday, Telangana Congress BC leaders, who aspire to secure MLA tickets, convened a meeting at Gandhi Bhavan. This gathering was attended by TPCC campaign committee chairman Madhu Yashki Goud, along with other senior leaders such as V Hanumantha Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, B Mahesh Kumar Goud, Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Cheruku Sudhakar.
It is learnt that based on a report from Sunil’s team, the party is considering declining a ticket to even the seniors like Lakshmaiah, a six-time MLA and former PCC president. Party members are surprisied by how a seasoned leader like him could be deemed less suitable than a relative newcomer like Kommuri Pratap Reddy.
“Kommuri Pratap Reddy changed multiple parties, and he has been in the party for just a year. There is no guarantee that he would remain in the party for ever. Under these circumstances, how can a leader who has been loyal to the party for over four decades be denied a ticket?” a senior party leader lamented.
BC leaders within the party allege that Sunil Kanugolu has been suggesting alternatives from the dominant castes in constituencies where BCs have a strong presence and have been loyal to the party for a long time. They are also questioning how Sunil is allowed to sit in meetings of top decision-making bodies within the party, such as the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and others.
According to reliable sources familiar with the screening committee’s proceedings, BC leaders are being overlooked despite their strength in Adilabad, Narsapur, Medchal, Serilingampally, Mahabubnagar, Devarkadra and Jangaon Assembly segment.
Addressing the media, Madhu Yaskhi said, “Leaders from upper castes and those opposing tickets for BCs need to remember that OBC votes are crucial for their electoral success too. Those contending that BCs cannot secure victory, and that ticket allocation relies solely on surveys, should bear in mind that even incumbent PCC presidents, CLP leaders and veteran politicians have experienced electoral setbacks.”
“There should be mutual cooperation from all the sections to collectively win the elections,” he added.
He also announced their intention to seek appointments with AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge and senior leaders, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, to convey their concerns, while demanding that the party fulfil its previous commitment of allocating 34 seats to BCs, as announced by TPCC president A Revanth Reddy.
To meet Kharge, Sonia
Madhu Yashki said they would seek appointments with AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, to demand that the party fulfil its commitment of allocating 34 seats to BC community leaders