As the last day of withdrawing nominations ended on Thursday, as many as 367 out of 2,653 candidates withdrew their nominations for the upcoming Telangana elections. Many of the candidates who withdrew their nominations were rebel candidates from Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, who were not given party tickets to contest the elections.
However, 13 candidates – seven candidates from Congress led Mahakutami alliance and six from TRS – did not withdraw their nominations.
The TPCC and TRS both in the last 48 hours had made efforts to pacify the rebel candidates.
The TPCC took help from All India Congress Committee treasurer Ahmed Patel, AICC spokesperson Jaipal Reddy, Members of Parliament Jairam Ramesh and Veerappa Moily to convince the Congress rebels to withdraw their nominations.
Initially, over 30 rebels from Congress and 16 rebels from TRS had filed nominations to contest polls.
Earlier the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) was upset over the TPCC giving B-forms to five of their candidates to contest polls in the eight seats they were contesting from. Congress candidates from Dubbaka, Warangal East, Khanapur and Asifabad have now withdrawn their nominations, but the Congress candidate from Amberpet did not withdraw his nomination.
Thothatur Jagayya of Congress from Medchal withdrew his nomination after the party leadership assured him a prominent role once the mahakutami formed the government.
Marri Shashidhar Reddy, senior Congress leader who has won the Sanathnagar seat four times in the past told The New Indian Express that he would extend his support to the TDP candidate.
“I am not going to contest as a rebel or as an Independent, I have told this to the party’s senior leaders already,” he told TNIE. The senior leader, however, added that no one from the party has tried to pacify him and that his decision is his own. Soon after being denied a ticket, Reddy had accused the TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy of robbing him of his ticket.
Congress leader Bikshapathi Yadav from Serilingampally also withdrew his nomination extending support to TDP’s Bhavya Anand Prasad.
For the TRS, KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao were in talks with several disgruntled ticket aspirants to withdraw nominations.
KT Rama Rao held discussions with Sashidhar Reddy, who filed the nomination to contest from Kodada Assembly constituency at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday. Sashidhar Reddy withdrew his nomination after he was offered an MLC or Corporation chairman posts, reported Deccan Chronicle.
The TRS rebel candidate Hanumantha Reddy from Qutbullapur Assembly constituency also withdrew his nomination. Comedian Venumadhav from Kodada Assembly constituency has also withdrawn his nomination.
Congress rebel Subhash Reddy, Yellareddy Assembly constituency, Padala Venkata Chevella constituency, Alugubelly Amarendar Reddy from Miryalaguda constituency and Malyadri Reddy from Bansuwada constituency have also withdrawn their nominations.
Warangal West constituency Congress rebel and Warangal DCC president Naini Rajendar Reddy also withdrew his nomination.
Telugu Desam Paty rebel candidate Movva Satyanarayana from Serilimgampally constituency has also withdrawn his nomination. Telangana TD president L Ramana told Deccan Chronicle that all TD rebel candidates have withdrawn their nominations.