HYDERABAD : Finalisation of Lok Sabha candidates by the party’s Central Election Committee has exposed internal divisions in the Telangana Congress.
The CEC has approved candidates for only four Lok Sabha seats in the state, leaving 13 seats, including some where only one aspirant had applied for ticket, pending. This sparked questions about why the party did not clear the candidature for seats where only one aspirant had submitted applications.
The party should have ideally gathered opinions of various leaders before the CEC meeting, but this exercise is being carried out now, a section of the party leaders said.
Also, the clear gap between ministers and state leadership became quite evident after AICC in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi and two AICC secretaries began gathering opinions for the remaining 13 Lok Sabha seats from MLAs and candidates who contested and lost.
A reliable source revealed that three ministers, along with their core group of MLAs, visited Delhi last week and lodged complaints with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Sonia Gandhi. They alleged that the screening committee sent the list without their consent and raised concerns about joinings in their districts without their opinions, affecting the chances of party veterans.
In response to the complaints, the party high command instructed AICC representatives to collect opinions from MLAs and candidates to finalise the list of candidates. The party has also initiated a discussion about candidates who contested Assembly elections but lost, particularly in constituencies under the 13 pending Lok Sabha seats.
There is a growing debate within the party regarding the selection and screening process, with reports suggesting that only a single name was sent to the Congress Central Election Committee for some seats. The AICC representatives have reportedly complained against the state leadership for recommending only one name for some seats, expressing concerns about the possible damage to the party’s image and demoralisation among younger leaders. There are also murmurs about the inclusion of parachute leaders in the party seeking tickets while long-serving veterans feel sidelined. The AICC has taken note of these concerns and directed its representatives in Telangana to gather opinions from MLAs on leaders who had joined the party recently.
Nirmala eyes Sangareddy
Sangareddy DCC president T Nirmala Jagga Reddy met AICC in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi, requesting the Medak Lok Sabha ticket. Nirmala urged the high command to allocate tickets to those who have dedicated their time and resources to the Congress. Dasmunshi responded positively and said that she hoped Nirmala gets the ticket under the women’s quota
AICC postpones meeting to March 15
In view of this turmoil, the AICC has postponed the meeting to finalise candidates for Lok Sabha seats in Telangana to March 15. A report on opinions gathered is expected to be sent to the high command on Thursday.
Sources stated that there is also an interesting discussion going on in the party over candidates who had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections and lost their chance to contest for the Lok Sabha. As per the decision of the AICC, the party is collecting opinions from MLAs and contested candidates from the Assembly constituencies that come under these 13 Lok Sabha seats. Sources stated that the AICC finalised the candidates for Nalgonda, Mahabubabad, Zaheerabad and Mahbubnagar seats as the aspirants had not contested the last Assembly elections.
However, aspirants for the Nagarkurnool, Bhongir, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal, Medak and other segments too have not contested the Assembly elections and are now wondering why their names were not finalised.