PAGE 6 | GADDAR TO TAKE ON KCR IN GAJWEL Cong. finalises 74 seats for TS poll
■ Congress said the first list of candidates would be announced on November 10, the rest of the names would be finalised on November 11 or 12. ■ The Mahakutami has changed its plan of releasing the full list of candidates at one go. The Telugu Desam will name its candidates separately.
With less than a month left for the elections, the Telangana state Congress candidates list has been further delayed, and the first list will be out on November 10.
The Congress central election committee on Thursday cleared the names of candidates for 74 of the 93 seats the party will be contesting from, at a meeting chaired by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
After the meeting, AICC general secretary and TS Congress incharge R.C. Khuntia said the party had decided to give 26 seats out of 119 seats in the state to Mahakutami — 14 seats to the TD, eight to the Telangana Jana Samiti, three to the CPI and one for the Telangana Inti Party.
Mr Khuntia said the first list of candidates would be announced on November 10, the rest of the names would be finalised on November 11 or 12.
The parties are left with just 28 days to woo the voters. The Election Commission will issue the notification on November 12.
The TRS still has to name 14 candidates and party president and caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has taken a long break from the campaign. The Congress has said that it will announce its first list on November 10, and the Mahakutami candidates will start campaign only after filing the nominations.
All Congress leaders who camped at Delhi for the last three days will return to Hyderabad on Friday morning. TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy will leave for Dubai on Friday morning to attend an NRIs meeting and will return in the evening.
In a dramatic development, balladeer Gaddar announced on Thursday that he would contest as an independent candidate against caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao from the Gajwel Assembly constituency in the forthcoming elections.
Earlier, Gaddar had offered to contest against Mr Rao if all Opposition parties supported him. It is not clear if the Mahakutami will back him. Congress leader and former MLA Vanteru Pratap Reddy plans to contest from Gajwel as the Opposition candidate. The CPM-led Bahujana Front has extended its support to Gaddar.
Speaking to mediapersons, Gaddar said he had written to TS Director General of Police (DGP) for police protection during the campaign. He said he would begin canvassing after he receives a reply from the police.
Gaddar said he would campaign in the tribal tandas to bring awareness about the value of vote.
If Gaddar and Mr Pratap Reddy both contest from Gajwel, it will help the TRS as the votes against the ruling party will get divided. Sources said Mahakutami leaders may speak with Gaddar and persuade him not to contest as it would help the TRS.
Gaddar is critical of the TRS government and is supporting the Mahakutami.