Hyderabad: Congress begins search for candidates in Rajendranagar

Rajenadranagar: Following the visit of Rahul Gandhi to Telangana, who hinted at a possible streamlining of the party and exploring potential candidates through a survey, political activities ratchet up the party's camp, especially in the Rajendranagar constituency.

It is said that the survey will be completed six months before the blowing of election bugle in the State. It is against this background that the Congress party leaders and cadres in Rajendranagar started a debate on potential candidates.

Senior Congress leaders started browsing their pages of performance in Rajendranagar and weighing their mettle and chances to get a ticket by comparing themselves with other leaders.

Knowing that the survey will begin anytime soon to ascertain the performance and capacity of the winning candidates, leaders began counting heads in their groups and circles to comprehend the situation before projecting themselves as potential candidates.

Names of Borra Gyaneshwar Mudiraj, Mungi Jaipal Reddy and Mohd Shahabuddin are doing rounds in the party circle, as they believe that they have potential to contest.

Though Gyaneshwar Mudiraj threw his hat in the poll battle in 2009 and 2014, he failed to turn the mandate in his favour. He secured 42,037 votes in 2009; fared a bit better in 2014 when he polled 51,962 votes.

However, he failed to defeat strong Telugu Desam candidate T Prakash Goud who later scored a hat-trick in 2018 on TRS party ticket. Capturing the Rajendranagar seat is not an easy pill to swallow. It needs hard work and concerted efforts to turn votes into mandate in favour of the Congress. "We are working hard to strengthen the party again; will do so till we get a clear mandate", said Gnaneshwar.

Jaipal Reddy is another leader whose name is doing rounds as a potential candidate having capacity to get the mandate. A former sarpanch of Kokapet, he has been with the Congress since 2004.

"I am not in the race to lead the party in Rajendranagar. Let the survey decide who is a potential candidate to hold the key here. Though the competition is tough in Rajendranagar, I just want to see the party stand first before an airing political ambitions," he opined.

Formed in 2009, the constituency consists of three mandals-- Rajendranagar, Shamshabad and Gandipet--with 380,494 voters.

With a majority of voters from the BC community followed by minorities, the constituency is represented by Prakash Goud (TRS).

Mohd Shahabuddin is youngest among all belonging to the minority community. He began the journey as an NSUI leader and joined AP Youth Congress before getting a chance to serve as a senior leader of AP Congress Minority Cell. He is secretary of the Telangana PCC.

With a significant chunk of voters from the minority community, he is seen as a potential candidate to lead the party, as people affirm his efforts to strengthen it in Rajendranagar. "Though the competition is tough we are committed to bring back the glory of the Congress here. I along with my team is striving to strengthen the party as foot soldiers," he asserted.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders and cadre in Rajendranagar are waiting with bated breath to see who the high command will name as the candidate after the survey.