Congress may prefer fresh faces for new Congress inductees; BC leaders upset with party's poll strategist

Hyderabad: How many more will join the Telangana Congress party after September 27? This question is doing rounds even as Congress prepares its final list of 119 candidates who will contest in the upcoming Telangana Assembly Elections.

Who is finalising the names?

Multiple surveys carried out in the 119 constituencies provide major indicators of the names that will be inducted into the Congress party soon. A team led by poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu for the Congress party, along with Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Revanth Reddy, will be having the final say about the new entrees into the party.

A senior Congress leader from the Gandhi Bhavan explained, “The induction into the party is based on several reasons. This includes the leaders themselves and their cadre, and also the lack of Congress cadre in that particular area of the leader. Based on these aspects, a decision will be taken to induct them into the party or not.”

Malkajgiri, Alwal and Medchal leaders look towards Congress

After welcoming Mynampally Hanumanth Rao on September 27, Congress is preparing the join leaders from Malkajgiri, Alwal and Medchal into the party. Municipal corporators from the three constituencies are also expected to switch to the Congress party. The others with whom conversations are at a closing stage are sitting MLA from Uppal Bethi Subhas Reddy and BRS MLC Kasireddy Narayan Reddy from Mahabubnagar.

Sitting BRS MLA from Khanapur (ST constituency) Rekha Naik is also set to join Congress. Interestingly, Rekha filed her application from the Congress party for a party ticket before quitting BRS. Naik was not renominated by the BRS party for the upcoming elections.

BC leaders unsatisfied with poll strategist

The surveys in various districts of Telangana are showing that people want new faces in the Congress party. Hence, sources said that there is a section of senior leaders from the Backward Classes (BC) who are upset with the manner in which Sunil Kanugolu has given them representation.

The BC leaders demand that at least 34 seats be given to them to keep up with the present momentum and win against their rivals. According to sources, these constituencies have promising new faces and leaders who are bound to draw votes for Congress.

A senior leader explained, “Though some senior leaders are popular, their victory is doubtful. The surveys are not showing good prospects for them. These discrepancies need to be discussed in detail.” Recently, the leaders from BCs met Revanth Reddy at his home and gave their representation for the proper allocation of tickets to them.