Congress looking for strong candidates

                                                                  

Congress leadership is faced with a tough task of identifying candidates in at least four Assembly constituencies who can give a tough fight to the YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam in the by-elections to 18 seats.

The leadership is keen on finalising the candidates before the notification for the by-polls is issued. It wants to avoid repetition of its bitter experience in the recent by-elections to seven seats when delay in selection of candidates adversely affected the party's fortunes.

Congress party's constituency-wise coordination committees, are likely to brief PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana and Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy about the suitable candidates. The PCC is said to have drawn a list of aspirants for 14 constituencies but will announce their names after a meeting with the coordination committee members some time next week. Party sources said fielding strong candidates in Anantapur, Ongole, Macherla and Payakaraopet constituencies was proving to be a daunting task. Its worries have increased after receiving feedback from the grassroots as also from surveys that seem to suggest that YSR Congress candidates, are ahead in the race as of now in several constituencies.

Party leaders pointed out that it was looking for a candidate, who was capable of giving a fight to former Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, a close aide of Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy in Ongole constituency. In Anantapur, the party is making concerted efforts to convince the brother of Congress MP Ananta Venkataram Reddy to enter the fray.

Leaders are trying to convince one among Pinelli Laxma Reddy and Punna Reddy to take on Pinnela Ramakrishna Reddy in Macherla constituency. They are scouting for a new face in Payakaraopet. Sources said the following candidates are being considered: Dharmana Ramdas (Narsannapet), Thota Thrimurthulu (Ramachandrapuram), Kothapalli Subbarayudu (Narsapur), T.J.R. Sudhakar (Prathipadu), Madala Janakiram (Udayagiri), Venkataramana or Jay Galla (Tirupati), Dr. Eswaraiah (Railway Kodur), Meda Mallikarjun Reddy (Rajampet), Ramprasad Reddy (Rayachoti), Gangula Prabhakar Reddy (Allagadda), Rudra Goud (Yemmiganur) and Patil Venugopal Reddy

from the hindu