Nizamabad: Finalisation of the party candidate for the high-profile Nizamabad Urban Assembly constituency has turned out to be a tough task for the Congress high command. Party leader Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal and other senior leaders were involved in the matter.
TPCC working president Mahesh Goud was called to New Delhi to persuade him to withdraw his plea for the MLA ticket.
In the 2014 Assembly elections, Goud contested from Nizamabad Urban Assembly constituency but lost. Since then, he concentrated attention on the constituency and coordinated matters with the party’s second-rung leaders.
In the 2018 Assembly elections, Goud sacrificed his MLA ticket to Taher Hamdan after the state party leadership convinced him over this need. Hoping for the MLA ticket in the coming Assembly elections, goudf worked tirelessly.
Initially, he had wanted to migrate to Armoor constituency, but the TPCC leadership urged him to stay on in Nizamabad U. In the fast-changing political equations, the Congress high command plans to give the Nizamabad Urban MLA ticket to a minority candidate. There are 1.20 lakh minorities in this execlusively urban constituency.
A businessman from Korutla, TPCC vice-president Taher Bin Hamdan aspired for MLA ticket under minority quota. But, the party high command proposed to field former minister Mohammad Ali Shabbir from Nizamabad Urban constituency.
Former mayor Sanjay, city Congress president Kesha Venu and former TPCC secretary Narala Ratnakar seriously tried for the MLA ticket. But the changed political equations favoured Shabbir Ali’s candidature from Nizamabad Urban constituency.
In this context, AICC general secretary Venugopal and central election committee members convinced Mahesh Goud to withdraw from the ticket race. Reportedly, they promised to elevate him to some other posts. Mahesh agreed to wait.
It is likely that the Congress high command will announce the assembly candidate for Nizamabad urban constituency on Friday along with names for other constituencies.
