New entrants in Congress to face tough times

 ADILABAD: Many leaders of other parties joining Congress in the 11th hour to secure the party ticket will have to face a tough time in getting support from established leaders.

Senior Congress leaders are waiting for the right time to raise their voices against the new entrants in Asifabad and Khanapur assembly constituencies.

Congress leader Marsakola Saraswati aspiring for the Asifabad ticket is angry over Shyam Naik, husband of MLA Rekha Naik, joining the Congress in the eleventh hour and applying for the ticket. Shyam Naik is going about claiming that the party has promised to give him the ticket.

The same is the case with Rekha Naik, who has applied for the Congress ticket from Khanapur without even joining the party. She is continuing as BRS MLA.

It is learnt that nearly 15 candidates have applied for the party ticket from Khanapur, including Vedma Bojju, Charulatha Rathod, Bharath Chowhan, Purka Bapu Rao, Pendore Prabhakar, Vinod Naik, Anil Jadhav, Bakshi Naik, Kotnak Tirupati, Kotnak Ramesh and Ramkishan Naik. All of them are lobbying for the ticket through their own channels.

A senior Congress leader, on condition of anonymity, said the party's high command should give party tickets to leaders who have been working for the party for long, without switching their loyalties even during the hard times. He maintained that Congress cadre will not extend their support to outside candidates even if they get the ticket by hook or crook.