Mahakutami mantra goes for a toss

​Hyderabad: The Congress and the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) sprang a surprise on Monday, the last day for filing of nominations, by issuing B-forms to candidates in various constituencies which were not in their quota when seat sharing was finalised.

The Congress initially announced that it would contest in 94 seats leaving the remaining 25 to alliance parties. But by Monday evening, it had given B-forms to 100 candidates, six more than the initially decided figure.

Warangal (East), Huzurabad, Dubbaka, Medak, Patancheru and Amberpet are the six segments where the Congress candidates filed nominations on the last day. These constituencies were in the TDP or the TJS quota, but now the national party, much to their alliance partners’ displeasure, has given nod for its party candidates to test their luck in the election.

Gayatri Ravichandra (Warangal-East), Ch Nageshwar Reddy (Dubbaka), K Srinivas Goud (Patancheru), Kaushik Reddy (Huzurabad) etc. are in the fray from the Congress.

Meanwhile, the TJS has given B-forms to its candidates in 14 assembly segments, way above its quota of eight announced by the Congress. The TJS which announced names for seven segments on Saturday and Sunday gave clearance for seven more candidates to file nominations on the last day. However, Prof Kodandaram led party officially declared candidates for only two segments on Monday with the remaining names and news kept in wraps. However, after another five candidates were given B forms it came to light that the TJS was in fray from 14 constituencies in all.

Those who got the party nod on last day were Dr P Devaiah (Wardhannapet) and N Ramesh, a student leader from OU, for Amberpet segment. Five others who got TJS B-forms include Bheem Rao (Khanapur), Vijay (Asifabad), Naresh (Chennur), Prasad (Ashwaraopet) and Chinta Swamy (Station Ghanpur).

The TJS leaders said that their candidates were asked to file nominations as a safe side since the national party did not heed to their demands to leave two constituencies Warangal (East) and Miryalaguda to them. They said that the Congress and the TJS have fielded more candidates than initially agreed and discussions on how to go about this would be sorted out in discussions.

“If parties arrive at a consensus and convince each other properly extra candidates nominations could be withdrawn in the next few days. Otherwise friendly contests look inevitable,” TJS leaders said. Though nothing was announced in public, Prof Kodandaram and TJS leadership look unhappy at the State of affairs, especially seat sharing in the alliance at present.

Candidates in Mahakutami will be competing against each other in several segments if the happenings on last day of filing of nominations are any indication. In Ibrahimpatnam, Huzurabad and Patancheru, Congress issued B-forms to its candidates and the TDP is obviously unhappy as the three were believed to be in its quota.

Former MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy has lobbied with the Congress high command and eventually got its nod to contest from Ibrahimpatnam, which was earlier promised to the TDP. Likewise. the Congress and the TJS have fielded party candidates in Warangal (East), Dubbaka, Miryalaguda, Asifabad, Khanapur, Chennur. Also, the TDP and the TJS are both in fray for Mahbubnagar and Ashwaraopet assembly segments. Prof Kodandaram, TJS chief also had to forego his seat due to unexpected pressure and caste equations.