The Congress on Saturday announced the names of 13 candidates in its third list of candidates for the assembly elections in Telangana, scheduled to be held on December 7. Prominent among the names is former PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah who has been fielded from Jangaon constituency.
The Jangaon constituency was believed to have been given up for the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) as part of the Mahakutami, the alliance that the Congress has entered into with TJS, Telugu Desam Party and CPIM. However, sources said that Lakshmaiah convinced the party high command to retain the seat. He had earlier been a minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
As part of the alliance, the Congress said it will contest in 92 of the 112 seats, giving up 14 seats for the TDP, eight for the TJS and three for the CPM. Of the 92, the Congress has till now released names of 88 candidates, with 65 names coming up in the first list, 10 in the second and 13 in the last.
Of the six seats where names are yet to be announced, the Congress was expected to field Shashidhar Reddy in Sanathnagar. But, with the TDP declaring Kuna Venkatesh Goud as its candidate from the seat, it could be a blow for the Congress. "He has been the brains of the party in terms of continuously engaging with the Election Commission, as well as all the liaisoning required for Supreme Court cases," said a local party leader.
Other seats which the Congress might declare candidates from are Secunderabad, Huzurabad and Miryalaguda. While Deepak John is expected to contest from Secunderabad, PCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy's nephew Padi Kaushik Reddy could contest from Huzurabad. Congress might field leader of opposition Jana Reddy's son Raghuveer Reddy from Miryalguda. Secunderabad could also end up with one of the Mahakutami partners.
Apart from Lakshmaiah, the Congress had earlier named PCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy from Huzurnagar, Revanth Reddy from Kodangal and J Geetha Reddy from Zahirabad. While TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao had won the last elections, its first since the state was formed, with 63 of the 119 seats, the Congress planned an upset with the help of the Mahakutami.
But the delay in announcing seats, with TJS and CPI threatening to pull out of the alliance, could worsen matters for the party. On Saturday, senior Congress leaders Abid Rasool Khan and Khaleeq Ur Rahman joined the TRS after alleging that Muslim leaders are being sidelined within the party. Khan had been the chief of the Minorities commission in the state. Additionally, former TRS MP Ramesh Rathod recently joined the Congress after the TRS refused him a ticket from Adilabad.
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