Telangana Congress Pradesh Congress Committee president Ponnala Lakshmaiah said that rebel candidates will withdraw their nominations from the constituencies allotted to the CPI.
Mr. Lakshmaiah had a meeting with Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and AICC SC cell convenor Koppula Raju at his residence on Thursday morning on giving final touches to the party manifesto and election campaign in Telangana. The manifesto will be released on Saturday.
Mr. Ramesh, who is here on a three-day election campaign later left for Nirmal in Adilabad district to address a meeting of party workers. He would tour Nalgonda and Khammam districts on Friday. The main agenda of Mr. Ramesh is to prevail upon the rebel district Congress leaders to withdraw their nominations and impress upon them on the need to be united and make concerted efforts to win majority seats in Telangana.
In a bid to pacify the rebel candidates and the unsuccessful party ticket aspirants, Mr. Lakshmaiah later in the day closeted with the district congress party presidents and discussed strategies to dissuade the rebel candidates from contesting. He said that the rebel candidates would withdraw from the constituencies allotted to the CPI.
Mr. Lakshmaiah is believed to have explained to the disgruntled party workers and leaders that those who could not be accommodated now would have opportunity in the coming days. Priority was given to women and minorities in this elections and B-forms were distributed as per the instructions of the high command, he said.
In an oblique reference to the TRS president , Mr. Lakshmaiah said those who were planning to gain political benefit would be taught a lesson in the elections by the people. People will not believe those who promise the moon. By changing the guise, Ravana would not become Rama, he quipped.
He deplored the TRS for allotting such seats to the families of martyrs where the party stood no chance of winning. There is clamour for party tickets because Congress would emerge victorious, he added.
