Putting an end to speculation over a last-minute deal with the TRS, the Congress on Monday announced the much-delayed list of 111 candidates for the Assembly constituencies in Telangana.
The list has a blend of old and new faces. Actor-turned-politician Vijayashanti managed to get the Medak Assembly ticket while RS member V. Hanumantha Rao secured nomination from Amberpet. Former Home Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy failed to get the re-nomination. Latest indications suggest that the Maheswaram seat, which she represents, has been allotted to the CPI.
Prominent leaders to get the tickets include former Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Rajanarasimha (Andole), TPCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah (Jangaon), working president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy (Huzurnagar), former PCC chief D. Srinivas (Nizamabad Rural), NDMA Vice-Chairman Marri Sashidhar Reddy (Sanatnagar) and former Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy (Armoor).
Former Ministers -- K. Jana Reddy, J. Geetha Reddy, D.K. Aruna, D. Sridhar Babu, P. Sudarshan Reddy, Danam Nagender, M. Mukesh, Sunitha Laxma Reddy, B. Saraiah and R. Venkat Reddy – have been re-nominated. The list was released in the name of AICC special invitee Oscar Fernandes.
The Congress leadership also took due care to ensure that all the sitting MLAs were retained barring four members. Ms. Sabitha can find solace that her son P. Karthik Redy would be making his electoral debut from the Chevella parliamentary constituency. Former Minister P. Shankar Rao was dropped from Secunderabad Cantonment to pave the way for OUJAC leader Krishank.
Two other MLAs – Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka ST) and Akula Rajender (Malkajgiri), Balu Naik (Devarakonda), B.Raji Reddy (Uppal) and M.Manemma (Musheerabad) -- could not be retained. In the case of Mr. Rajender, a political blunder cost him dear. Sensing that he may not get the ticket, Mr. Rajender hurriedly joined TRS and returned to Congress in less than a week. But the damage was done. Mr. Raji Reddy paved the way for his brother B. Laxma Reddy while Balu Naik lost the seat as it was allotted to the CPI. Efforts of Mr. Lakshmaiah, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Mr. Jana Reddy, Mr. Srinivas, Mr. Damodar Reddy and over a dozen others failed to fructify as the high command ignored their pleas to give additional seats to their kin.
The party chose to field fresh faces such as AP Youth Congress president Ch. Vamsichand Reddy (Kalwakurthy), former NSUI president Bhargav Deshpande (Adilabad) and Puvvada Ajay, son of CPI leader Puvvada Nageswara Rao (Khammam).
Leaders like AICC secretary G. Chinna Reddy (Wanaparthy), Mallu Ravi (Jadcharla), T. Jeevan Reddy (Jagtial), Kasani Gyneshwar (Rajendranagar), Sambhani Chandrasekhar (Sathupalli) and former MP D. Vithal Rao (Kodangal) were also given tickets.
