Congress again puts off list of candidates

Hyderabad: The Congress high command has once again postponed the release if its candidates list and the party has now tentatively scheduled the event for the beginning of next week. According to sources, internal pressure for tickets and the stalemate in seat adjustments with the Mahakutami allies was delaying the list.

AICC screening committee chairman Bhakta Charan Das said in Delhi said that the list would be released on November 12 or 13. The only bright spot seemed to be CPI Telangana state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy’s assurance that the party would not leave the alliance.

Mr Das said the party would give about 25 seats to the BC community. He said 20 BC candidates had been selected, and it would not be possible to release a list till all of them were picked.

AICC general secretary and TS Congress incharge R.C. Khuntia had announced two days ago that the first list would be released on November 10.

AICC screening committee chairman Bhakta Charan Das in Delhi condemned reports that the party was selling tickets, he said there were allegations that he was himself collecting money to hand out tickets. He said the party was viewing these reports seriously, and said they were being made to defame him.

Mr Das supported BC leaders who were staging a dharna at AP Bhavan demanding more seats for the community.

Meanwhile, Mahakutami leaders Venkat Reddy and L. Ramana met for talks and then held a meeting with Telangana Jana Samiti president Prof. M. Kodandaram.

After that, there was a meeting between Mr Venkat Reddy, Prof. Kodandaram Telangana Inti Party chief Cheraku Sudhakar and Congress leaders N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and R.C. Khuntia. The meeting failed to break the deadlock.

Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Venkat Reddy said the CPI would not leave the Mahakutami. The party was unhappy with the Congress announcement on seat sharing without first discussing it with them.

Mr Venkat Reddy said parties should have a give and take policy while sharing seats and expressed the hope that it would be finalised in a day or two. Mr Sudhakar said he had demanded three seats but the final decision was to allot Nakrekal to the party. He said his wife Lakshmi would contest from the seat.

Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mr Khuntia left the venue without speaking to the media.