There are no takers in the Congress for tickets for the bypolls. A day after the Election Commission announced that the bypolls for 18 assembly seats and one Lok Sabhaconstituency would be held on June 12, at least eight candidates shortlisted by the PCC presidentBotsa Satyanarayana have backed out.
A desperate Congress high command is now sending AICC leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad andVayalar Ravi to Hyderabad this weekend to persuade Congress leaders to take on 's YSR Congress in the bypolls being dubbed as mini-assembly elections.
Botsa had prepared a list of 14 names as candidates for the bypolls last week. However, Congress sources said many of them 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 6-7 crore needed for bypoll expenditure. However, the reality is that the candidates think they don't stand a chance as the YSR candidates are very strong," said party sources.
Take the case of Ananta Subba Reddy, who the Congress had shortlisted as its candidate from Anantapur urban assembly seat. Subba Reddy is not averse to contesting the polls, but his brother and Anantapur MP A Venkatram Reddy is against Subba contesting on the grounds that he would suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of sitting legislator and 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.
According to 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 volatile 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 now has no leader of stature left in the 18 constituencies.
With the Congress is facing a crisis even before the bypolls are held, Azad and Ravi are expected in Hyderabad on Sunday. However, with May 25 being the last date for filing nominations, the Congress is hopeful that it would have its candidates ready at least by that date.
A desperate Congress high command is now sending AICC leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad andVayalar Ravi to Hyderabad this weekend to persuade Congress leaders to take on 's YSR Congress in the bypolls being dubbed as mini-assembly elections.
Botsa had prepared a list of 14 names as candidates for the bypolls last week. However, Congress sources said many of them 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 6-7 crore needed for bypoll expenditure. However, the reality is that the candidates think they don't stand a chance as the YSR candidates are very strong," said party sources.
Take the case of Ananta Subba Reddy, who the Congress had shortlisted as its candidate from Anantapur urban assembly seat. Subba Reddy is not averse to contesting the polls, but his brother and Anantapur MP A Venkatram Reddy is against Subba contesting on the grounds that he would suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of sitting legislator and 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.
According to 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 volatile 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 now has no leader of stature left in the 18 constituencies.
With the Congress is facing a crisis even before the bypolls are held, Azad and Ravi are expected in Hyderabad on Sunday. However, with May 25 being the last date for filing nominations, the Congress is hopeful that it would have its candidates ready at least by that date.
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