Telangana Congress list by Mar 28: Diggy

• Winnability to be sole criterion for selection
• Weaker sections to get strong weightage
• Working on Plan B for possible allies
• CPI keen on tie-up with Cong in Telangana
• Exercise for Andhra Pradesh after Mar 28
• First list of candidates to be out by Apr 3-4

New Delhi: The AICC general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, on Sunday said that the first list of candidates for Telangana for the ensuing Assembly and Lok Sabha elections would be out by Friday. The Congress Election Committee will hold its meetings from Wednesday to finalise the candidates.

Digvijay Singh said a panel of single names, two names and a maximum of three names will be prepared and placed before the Election Committee. For 10 to 15 constituencies, Singh said, more names were required and some more homework remained to be done. He informed that the Congress Screening Committee for Andhra Pradesh will meet after March 28, when the Congress Bus Yatra will conclude. After that a panel of names will be forwarded to the CEC, which will finalize the names. The first list of candidates should be out by April 3-4, he said.

Singh said that the Congress Bus Yatra was drawing a response, exceeding their expectations, whichever district it passed through. After March 28, APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy, APCC campaign committee chairman K Chiranjeevi, former APCC president Botcha Satyanarayana and other Congress leaders will come to Delhi for discussions on the selection of candidates.

The screening committee for Telangana has set winnability as the sole criteria for the selection of candidates for the ensuing elections. Realising that the Congress is placed in an advantageous position in Telangana, the Congress High Command is keen on avoiding any hard-and-fast rule, and the party would be guided solely by the consideration of winnability.

The screening committee, which concluded its deliberations on Sunday, would finalise its recommendations and would start placing them before the election committee from Wednesday. Women and youth are expected to be given weightage. Weaker sections, particularly SCs, STs and BCs, are expected to get greater representation. While the screening committee did elicit the views of the Telangana PCC leaders, MPs and MLAs, it asked them to give their suggestions on change of seats as well, and conveyed to them that wherever it is possible, such requests would be accommodated. Those, who could not make it to the screening committee meeting on Saturday, attended it on Sunday. Sabitha Indra Reddy sought Chevella seat for her son Kartik Reddy, in case Union Science & Technology Minister S Jaipal Reddy chooses to shift to Mahabubnagar parliamentary constituency.

Reflecting the general mood, S Rajaiah said that while all the leaders did present their individual assessments to the committee, the final call on the party candidates would be taken by the high command only.

As disciplined soldiers of the party, they would abide by whatever decision taken, and strive for the success of the Congress candidates, he added. The screening committee held extensive and exhaustive consultations with various leaders from Telangana, including TPCC office-bearers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other aspirants. Among the issues that figured in the deliberations was whether to earmark some seats for any possible allies. CPI State secretary K Narayana met Digvijay Singh, seeking a tie-up. As the A K Antony Committee would take a view on alliances, the party is preparing for Plan B. Primarily, the Congress is proceeding on the premise that it will go it alone in the elections. Although the TRS had shut the doors on the it, the Congress did not give up any hope.