HYDERABAD: There are no takers in the Congress for tickets for the bypolls. A day after the Election Commission announced that the bypolls to 18 assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency would be held on June 12, at least eight candidates shortlisted by PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana have backed out. A desperate Congress high command is now dispatching AICC leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Union minister Vayalar Ravi to Hyderabad this week-end to persuade Congress leaders to take on Jaganmohan Reddy's YSR Congress in the bypolls being dubbed as a mini-assembly elections.
PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana had prepared a list of 14 names as ruling party candidates for the bypolls last week. However, Congress sources said many of these were mere probables who are now conveying to the state party bosses that they would prefer not to contest. "Publicly, the leaders are saying that they are backing out because they do not have the Rs 6 to Rs 7 crore needed for bypoll expenditure. However, the reality is that they are of the view that the YSR candidates are very strong and that they do not stand a chance," said party sources.
For example, the Congress had shortlisted Ananta Subba Reddy as its candidate from Anantapur Urban assembly seat. While Subba Reddy is not averse to contesting the polls, his brother and Anantapur MP A Venkatram Reddy is against Subba contesting on the grounds that he would face a humiliating defeat in the hands of sitting legislator and now YSR Congress nominee G Gurnatha Reddy. The Congress is now scouting for a leader from the minority community to be fielded from Anantapur Urban.
From Allagada assembly seat in Kurnool district, the party had shortlisted the name of Gangula Pratap Reddy but on Wednesday, he told the media that he is not keen to contest the bypolls and, in fact, went to the extent of stating that his very continuance in Congress is in doubt.
For the Polavaram ST seat, the Congress had proposed the name of Bojjaiah Dora but on Wednesday, Botsa said they are still scouting for a nominee from this assembly seat. According to the sources, the candidates named for many other assembly seats are still to confirm their candidature while the ruling party does not as yet have a nominee for constituencies like Payakaraopet (SC), Prathipadu (SC), Ongole and Macherla. Similar is the situation in Parakal in Warangal district, the lone assembly segment going to the polls in the Telangana region.
The main reason for the paucity of candidates for the Congress is said to be former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's policy of grooming his protege as the sole leader in each assembly segment. As a result, with the sitting Congress legislators jumping into the Jagan bandwagon, the Congress has no leader of stature left in the 18 constituencies.
For example, in Yemmiganur in Kurnool district, with sitting Congress MLA Y Chennakesava Reddy having joined the Jagan camp, the Congress is falling back on Y Rudra Gowda, a TDP leader who joined the ruling party only three months ago.
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