Ahead of the last day for filing nominations for the Telangana Assembly elections, the Congress in New Delhi finally released the remaining six candidates that it was going to field for the upcoming polls, scheduled to be held on December 7.
The candidates announced are Juvvadi Narsingh Rao for Koratla, Suresh Kumar Shetkar for Narayankhed, Kasani Gnaneshwar Mudiraj for Secunderabad, Vamanagiri Krishna for Narayanpet, Dr Paban Kumar Reddy for Devarkadra and R Krishnaiah for Miryalguda.
Miryalguda is a key seat and the Congress seems to have chosen R Krishnaiah, a prominent BC leader, keeping in mind the presence of the massive BC community in the constituency. This also means that the Congress has denied the ticket to Raghuveer Reddy, the son of party heavyweight K Jana Reddy, despite intense lobbying.
The Congress on Saturday released its third list of 13 candidates for the Telangana Assembly polls, fielding party veteran and former Andhra Pradesh Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah.
Lakshmaiah would be contesting from the Jangaon constituency in Warangal district, which has sent him to the Assembly four times in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.
The Congress is heading a four-party alliance called 'Mahakutami' and has left 24 seats for its three allies -- the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and Communist Party of India.
The Jangaon seat went to Lakshmaiah after much speculation that it was going to Prof Kodandaram from the TJS. Lakshmaiah rushed to the Congress’ war room in New Delhi and expressed his frustration at being denied the Jangaon ticket, claiming that it would be unjust to the BC community. It is also important to note that Lakshmaiah lost the Jangaon ticket in 2014 to Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy when he was the sitting Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president.
The last date for filing nominations is November 19. Telangana goes to the polls on December 7 and results will be declared on December 11.
IANS inputs