Congress Screening Committee Vets Candidates List, Rahul Gandhi\'s 2nd Phase Bus Yatra

HYDERABAD: The Congress screening committee met in Delhi on Sunday for the consecutive second day to finalise second list of candidates for Telangana Assembly polls. The meeting was held at the residence of AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal.

In attendance were TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Nalgonda MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, AICC Telangana incharge Manikrao Thakre, among others.

Sources said that the committee discussed scheduling the second phase of the bus yatra of party leader Rahul Gandhi for three days from October 26. The proposals on the schedule and the roadmap will be referred to party high command for approval.

Sources said that the committee shortlisted the candidates for all the seats except five which include Wanaparthy and Nizamabad Urban. These seats are sought by senior party leaders former minister G. Chinna Reddy and TPCC working president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud.

The seniors are facing tough competition from multiple aspirants. The screening committee reportedly could not arrive at a consensus on these seats and referred them to the AICC central election committee (CEc) comprising AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and other top leaders.

Sources said that clarity on four seats to be allotted to CPI and CPM is yet to be arrived as the Left Parties are yet to respond on the offer made to them.

The CEC is expected to meet after Dasara and finalise the candidates. There is a possibility that the CEC may release candidates for all the remaining seats in one go by October 25 or 26.

The Congress had released its first list of 55 candidates on October 15; 64 seats await nominees.