The Congress party further postponed the announcement of its candidates to November 10 as the consultations with the alliance partners continued and also the efforts to pacify the aspirants is yet to fructify.
The day-long consultations at New Delhi saw the screening committee inviting the aspirants and seeking their support for the selected candidates. However, this did not go down well with the aspirants who sought to know why they were being denied tickets and on what basis their opponents were favoured.
Sources said some candidates wanted the survey reports to be placed before them to know what they actually revealed but the screening committee members, including AICC incharge for Telangana R.C. Khuntia and TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, did not reveal the reports. “The committee rather than convincing the us ended up in confusing us,” said a few aspirants who were called to the war room.
Numbers decided
Meanwhile, Mr. Khuntia said the candidates for 74 constituencies would be announced on November 10 and remaining in a day or two depending on the time of AICC president Rahul Gandhi. These include the constituencies where the competition is much higher within the Congress and also the alliance partners.
Sources revealed that the Congress has decided to leave 26 seats to the alliance including 14 to the Telangana Telugu Desam Party, 8 to the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS), 3 seats to the Communist Party of India (CPI) and one seat to the Telangana Inti Party.
The party has also requested TJS president M. Kodandaram to visit New Delhi to further discuss on the constituencies to be given to the TJS. There are differences between the two parties over the constituencies to be shared. TJS leaders and Congress leaders also met in Delhi on Thursday for discussions where it was apparently agreed that 5 seats would be announced initially and three seats later.
‘Raw deal’
Similarly, CPI is said to have expressed its displeasure over the raw treatment given to it. The party that initially asked for 8 seats was hell bent on getting at least 5 seats. However, the Congress decided to offer just three seats including Husnabad, Wyra and Bellampalli and also promised two MLC seats once the government is formed. The party however is also seeking Kothagudem seat. The CPI is meeting on Friday to take stock of the situation and finalise the candidates, it is reported.
