The Congress’s Central Election Committee (CEC) has postponed the meeting to finalize the candidates for another day. Rahul Gandhi, a party leader, may make the final decision on the second list of candidates on October 27.
The CEC spent a long time on Wednesday night discussing the remaining 64 seats. They took a break on Thursday but are likely to have one final meeting to approve all the remaining seats, including those in alliance with the Left parties. The discussions on Wednesday cleared most of the names of Congress candidates for 60 segments, and they are now awaiting final approval. The party is also accommodating new members, like Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, who will join on Friday.
The Left parties are seeking seats in Nalgonda and Khammam parliamentary constituencies, particularly Munugode and Paleru. These seats are considered to be winning seats for the Congress, so the Left parties are insisting on them. If these seats are not accommodated, there is a possibility that the Left parties will go it alone. Some party leaders feel that the Left’s alliance with the Congress is superficial and that they may use the national alliance INDIA as an excuse to separate from the Congress in Telangana.
Meanwhile, some BC leaders in the party are upset with how Rajgopal Reddy is being welcomed into the party in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. They feel that it is unfair for upper caste leaders to be welcomed without any concerns, especially since they have criticized the party’s leadership in the past. Some BC leaders may follow the path of Ponnala Lakshmaiah, a dedicated Congress leader who left the party because of similar concerns. They believe that this behavior is unbecoming of a national party that historically relies on support from weaker sections.