Vijayawada: Aspiring politicians flocked to APCC headquarters on Wednesday as the Andhra Pradesh Congress began accepting applications for its 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha tickets. With party in-charge Manickam Tagore presiding, hopeful candidates lined up to submit their bids in a charged atmosphere.
Former Rajya Sabha MP K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao, MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, and senior leaders witnessed the proceedings as eight Lok Sabha and 31 Assembly applications rolled in.
Notable names vying for Assembly seats include former MLA K. Sudhakar (Madakasira), APCC working president Shaik Mastan Vali (Guntur East), and ex-MLA Kamalamma (Badvel). Vijayawada West also saw party leader Shaik Fathima Begum throw her hat in the ring.
Following the Karnataka and Telangana model, AP Congress implemented a "donation fee" system for candidates: Rs. 15,000 for Lok Sabha (reserved category), Rs. 25,000 (unreserved), and Rs. 5,000-10,000 for Assembly seats.
Responding to the enthusiastic turnout, Tagore assured a thorough selection process. Applications will be reviewed by the Pradesh Election Committee and then scrutinized by the AICC screening committee led by Madhusudan Mistry. Following further analysis by the Congress Central Election Committee under Mallikarjun Kharge, the final list will be announced.
With anticipation high and competition fierce, the next two weeks promise to be a thrilling prelude to the upcoming elections.
