The Hindu : New Delhi News : Congress to finalise LS list by March 16

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Congress to finalise LS list by March 16

Special Correspondent

State leaders hold discussions with the Central leadership to meet the deadline

— PTI Photo

Formidable task: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy receiving petitions from ticket seekers at AP Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday.

NEW DELHI: With the Congress president Sonia Gandhi wanting the list of candidates for Andhra Pradesh to be finalised by March 16, State leaders held several rounds of discussions with the Central leadership here on Monday to meet the deadline.

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, APCC president D. Srinivas met Ms. Sonia Gandhi as also Pranab Mukherjee, chairperson of the party’s screening committee, and the AICC general secretary Veerappa Moily, who is in charge of Andhra Pradesh. Oscar Fernandes, member of the screening committee also participated in the meetings.

Winning prospects

The central leaders held one-on-one meetings with the Members of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh to receive feedback from their respective constituencies, present situation and the winning prospects.

The State goes to the polls on April 16 and 23 to elect 42 Lok Sabha representatives along with 294 Assembly members.

Among those who met the Chief Minister Mr. Reddy was the former Minister of State A. Narendra who, reliable sources, said has been offered the Medak Parliamentary constituency.

But, he is said to be keen on contesting from the adjoining Zaheerabad that has been carved out after delimitation.

Sources told The Hindu, senior leader N. Janardhana Reddy – representing the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency at present – has sought shifting to Nellore that is de-reserved after the delimitation which is at present represented by the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Panabakaa Lakshmi.

Ms Lakshmi is likely to be shifted to the adjoining Tirupati constituency which is reserved for Scheduled Castes as a large segment of the erstwhile Nellore constituency is now part of Tirupati seat.

Rajya Sabha member T. Subbirami Reddy has expressed his desire to contest from Visakhapatnam in place of N. Janardhana Reddy and V. Hanumantha Rao wants to fight elections from Malkajgiri Lok Sabha segment.

The Congress also needs to accommodate D. Purandareswari, Minister of State for Human Resource Development who represented Bapatla constituency reserved for the SCs. As expected, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury is likely to be repeated from Khamman Parliamentary seat. Former Union Minister G.Venkataswamy has said he would not contest elections. Talking to reporters, Mr. Moily said the party president had said that the list should be finalised by March 16. Denying any difference of opinion on distribution of tickets, Mr Moily said this was a “`rumour mongering by some vested interests” and the Congress would win the poll.

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