Guessing game continues

Warangal: Congress-led alliance continues to keep aspirants and opponents on tenterhooks in 12 constituencies of the erstwhile Warangal district. With the list of the Congress candidates to be announced on November 8 or 9, and the haze over seat-sharing is yet to be cleared, it has become a guessing game for the politicos and people interested in politics.

The ruling TRS which announced 105 candidates on September 6 soon after the dissolution of the Assembly gave ample of time to its nominees for electioneering. The BJP which announced 38 candidates in its first list has come up with the second list comprising 28 names on Friday.

On the other hand, the Congress, TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) combo is yet to come to terms with each other over seat sharing. It could well be more than two months by the time the Congress and its allies announce their candidates for the December 7 elections to the Assembly compared to the TRS.

Even though the seat-sharing is yet to be announced officially, a list comprising 54 Congress candidates’ names is doing rounds extensively. If that list is to be believed, candidates for eight of the 12 seats are finalised. Unless something goes drastically wrong, it’s believed that candidatures of Ponnala Laxmaiah (Janagaon), Porika Balaram Naik (Mahabubabad), Ramchandru Naik (Dornakal), Konda Surekha (Parkal), Naini Rajender Reddy (Warangal West), Janga Raghava Reddy (Palakurthy), Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy (Bhupalpally) and Narsampet (Donti Madhava Reddy) are certain.

There is still uncertainty over the nominees of Mulug, Station Ghanpur, Warangal West and Wardhannapet constituencies. Although it was touted that Sitakka alias Danasari Anasuya is almost certain to get Mulug ticket, Podem Veeraiah is leaving no stone unturned to clinch it.

With both the leaders having a strong political clout, it has become problem for the Congress leadership. It is learnt that while Warangal East and Wardhannapet constituencies are to be allotted to the alliance partners – TDP or TJS, the candidate for the Station Ghanpur seat is yet to be finalised. Against this backdrop, several candidates have already descended on Delhi to lobby for tickets.

With the main Opposition Congress is yet to announce its candidates, the TRS and the BJP nominees who are already engaged in hectic electioneering are anxiously waiting for their opponents.

“Even though they have more time for campaigning, the TRS and BJP candidates’ anxiety is understandable as they have to work out strategies based on their opponents’ caste and community,” a senior TRS leader told The Hans India.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Congress is firm to contest in 95 constituencies leaving 24 seats to TDP, TJS and CPI. The TJS chief Prof Kodandaram who is reportedly unhappy with the seat-sharing has met the All India Congress Committee President Rahul Gandhi on Friday. The CPI which is also unhappy with the seat-sharing has decided to convene an emergency meeting with its executive body on November 4.