Row at Congress meeting

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Election Committee of TPCC which met on Tuesday witnessed heated discussions over selection of candidates for the upcoming Parliament elections.Former MLA DK Aruna and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy argued over candidate for Mahbubnagar seat. MLA D Sudhir Reddy expressed his anger over former MP Madhu Yashki’s attitude. 

According to sources, DK Aruna has proposed the name of former Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy for Mahbubnagar seat, but Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the former Union Minister was not interested.With this MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and DK Aruna entered into argument with Uttam. Aruna and Sudhakar Reddy said that when the party was facing a challenge, a senior leader like Jaipal Reddy could not stay away from the elections.

Aruna had an argument with AICC secretaries Vamsichand Reddy and A Sampath. When Sampath asked PCC leaders to enter Satheesh Madiga’s name in the list of candidates for Nagarkurnool seat, Aruna raised objection to this. Arguments have also taken place in the meeting regarding aspirants for Bhongir Parliamentary Constituency. When Madhu Yashki’s name was proposed, MLC Shabbir Ali and MLA D Sudhir Reddy had an argument. They demanded Madhu Yashki to choose between Nizamabad and Bhongir. 

During the discussion on the candidate of the MLC seat a senior leader of the party objected to the attitude of the TPCC leaders on the criteria for selecting the party’s nominee.When TPCC leaders proposed that a leader with strong financial base should be named, the senior leader made a strong objection. The leader said that how Congress would choose candidate with financial power when it was criticising the TRS for using money power. He said that in such a case there would be no difference between the Congress and the TRS. 

The leader said that party should select a candidate who has face value and loyalty to the party. He said that two Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs would not support Congress candidate if a leader out of Khammam district is selected. The PEC examined about 340 applications being submitted by the aspirants. It has short listed about 90 names. The PEC has considered five to six names for each Parliamentary Constituency. 

The PEC has taken the recommendations being made by the District Congress Committees into consideration for short listing the names. It has been decided that sitting MLAs should not be given tickets.Meanwhile, TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy and party In-charge RC Khuntia left for Delhi on Tuesday evening.They would meet the Central Election Committee of AICC and would submit the list of aspirants.