Uncertainty looms large after Congress Screening Committee meeting

Uncertainty is looming large among leaders and cadre after the Congress party’s Screening Committee’s extensive meeting in New Delhi as the Committee failed to finalise candidates for several key constituencies.

This apart, ticket aspirants, who are camping in New Delhi, have made things very clear to the high command. They have literally warned the party leaders that if tickets were given to other leaders, especially those coming from other parties, the party would lose deposits in such constituencies.

After the two-day meeting, the Committee is learned to have finalized the candidature of senior leaders like Nalgonda MP Uttam Kumar Reddy, Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka and TPCC president A Revanth Reddy but failed to address contentious ticket issues in several constituencies.

For instance, former MP Madhu Yaskhi Goud is seeking a ticket from LB Nagar and local leaders from the constituency have raised objection to his plans. Ticket aspirants, including M Ranga Reddy, Daripally Rajashekhar Reddy and others have reportedly demanded that Goud should not be given the ticket and even threatened that they would not work for party.

Posters targeting Goud were also put at Gandhi Bhavan and in a few places in LB Nagar constituency that ‘parachute’ leaders should not be given



tickets.

Same is the case with Jubilee Hills constituency. Former Indian cricket captain Mohd. Azharuddin is keen to contest the elections from the constituency and has already won the confidence of many local leaders, while former CLP leader P Janardhan Reddy’s son P Vishnuvardhan Reddy is aspiring a ticket from the constituency.

Similar was the situation in a few constituencies in erstwhile Nalgonda, Khammam and Greater Hyderabad.

With former MLA Veeresham all set to join the Congress, there is no clarity among leader whether he would be fielded from Tungaturthy or Nakrekal. There is also contest between former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and former Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao for Palair constituency.

Former Ministers, including Ramreddy Damodar Reddy and Ponnala Laxmaiah were facing stiff competition from other ticket aspirants, citing winning prospects. In Suryapet, Patel Ramesh Reddy is demanding ticket as promised by the party leadership in the last elections. Likewise, in Jangaon, K Pratap Reddy is also demanding ticket pointing series of defeats faced by Ponnala.

With the Screening Committee failing to address these issues and not much of time left for the elections, the local leaders and cadre were getting restless and threatening of dire consequences to the party high command, if it did not consider their appeals.