Controversies mar Congress before municipal election notification in Mancherial

The Congress party’s Mancherial unit has plunged into controversy ahead of municipal elections, with aspirants alleging that tickets are being sold to wealthy candidates. A meeting in Kyathanpalli saw dissenters confront senior leaders, including Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao and DCC president P Raghunath Reddy.

Mancherial: Much before the notification of municipal elections, the Congress party’s Mancherial unit has been mired in controversies over the allotment of tickets to aspirants.

Reservations for the posts of mayor, chairpersons and councillors were declared recently, while the State Election Commission is yet to notify elections for the municipalities. It is speculated that the Commission may issue the notification on January 24 or 27, with polling likely scheduled in the second or third week of February.

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However, a section of aspirants has alleged that Congress leaders in the district were selling tickets to affluent candidates. They confronted party leaders during a meeting held recently in Kyathanpalli municipality. The meeting was attended by Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, who is also the party’s in-charge minister for Mancherial, and District Congress Committee president P Raghunath Reddy.

The dissenting aspirants expressed anguish that those associated with the party for a long time were being sidelined. They alleged that candidates for the posts of chairpersons in various municipalities and the mayor of the newly created Mancherial Municipal Corporation had already been finalised by accepting bribes from financially strong contenders, causing injustice to leaders who had worked hard for the growth of the party.

Meanwhile, aspirants have been swarming the houses of the party’s in-charge leaders for Assembly constituencies and local elected representatives seeking tickets. They have intensified efforts to secure nominations by using their contacts with the top leadership and influential leaders of the party. They are also reportedly mobilising funds for the elections by pledging assets such as houses and agricultural land.

According to officials, the post of Mancherial mayor has been reserved for BC General. The posts of chairpersons of Bellampalli and Chennur have been reserved for General Women, while the chairpersons of Luxettipet and Kyathanpalli urban local bodies have been earmarked for BC Women and ST General, respectively.