HYDERABAD: Seemingly following a calculated strategy, the Congress is preparing to unveil its list of candidates shortly after the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) discloses its initial list, which is anticipated to be revealed on Monday. Drawing from the lessons of its successive defeats in the Assembly elections at the hands of the pink party, the Congress has deliberately opted to assess and announce its candidates subsequent to evaluating the contenders presented by the ruling party in various electoral categories.
Reliable sources within the party suggest that a comprehensive plan underscores this approach. Following the 2018 Assembly elections, the ruling BRS (then TRS) actively worked to absorb Congress leaders into its fold, resulting in an overflow of potential candidates within the BRS ranks. As the preliminary candidate list is set to be released, it is anticipated that several aspirants not included in this list may shift their focus towards Congress.
“We will convert this into an advantage by either inducting them or declaring their candidature. We will also be in a position to analyse the social equation that the ruling party is missing and strike a balance,” a senior Congress leader said.
This strategy’s rationale is deeply rooted in Congress’ objective to meticulously manage the social composition of its candidates and make well-informed choices in constituencies where numerous aspirants vie for the nomination. Interestingly, this approach was evident during the Munugode Assembly byelection, where Congress finalised its candidate subsequent to the BRS revealing its own nominee. A similar pattern has been noted in other instances, including the Dubbaka and Huzurabad Assembly byelections as well as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections. Meanwhile, the grand old party has already initiated its comprehensive candidate selection process, actively receiving applications from enthusiastic aspirants.