Cong to Soon Start Shortlisting Candidates for LS Polls

Hyderabad: With the Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has decided to initiate the process of identifying candidates for the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. Its political affairs committee (PAC) is expected to meet before January 31 to shortlist candidates.

As the ruling party, the Congress now aims to win at least 14 seats, this time around. Party sources said that the PAC will recommend three names for each constituency to the AICC screening committee, constituted by the party's high command.

State-wise screening committees for shortlisting candidates were formed on January 5. AICC general secretaries/in-charges, PCC presidents, CLP leaders and AICC state in-charges will be ex-officio members of their respective states.

Telangana state figures in cluster-1, along with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry. Harish Chaudhary has been appointed as chairman for this cluster with Viswajeet Kadam and Jignesh Mewani as members.

With the Congress coming to power in Telangana state with a clear majority, there is a big rush among leaders to secure tickets for the Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2019 elections, the Congress, as a major opposition party in Telangana state, had won just three seats — Malkajgiri, Bhongir and Nalgonda. A. Revanth Reddy won from Malkajgiri, while N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy won from Nalgonda and Bhongir, respectively. All of them tendered their resignation as Lok Sabha members in December 2023 after they were elected as MLAs in the recent Assembly polls. Revanth Reddy became the Chief Minister and the other two were made ministers in his Cabinet.

The TPCC executive committee, which met under the chairmanship of Revanth Reddy on January 4, adopted a unanimous resolution urging Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Telangana state this time.

The resolution stated that it was Sonia, as chairperson of the UPA government at the Centre, who had granted statehood to Telangana, thereby fulfilling the six-decade-long dreams of the people in the region. People of the state would feel proud if Sonia contests from Telangana and they will ensure a massive win for her as a measure of their thanksgiving gesture to her.