No candidates yet: Congress cadre remain tense in Thungathurthi, Suryapet, Miryalaguda

The delay in announcing candidates for these constituencies is said to be due to the faction wars in the Congress.

Nalgonda: The Congress cadre are waiting with crossed fingers in Suryapet, Thungathurthi and Miryalaguda assembly constituencies with the party yet to announce candidates for these three constituencies.

With the last date for filing nominations being Friday, the party cadre are angry over the inability of the party high command to announce candidates for these constituencies, where they believe the party was quite strong. Congress candidates had won from Thungathurthi in four elections in 1985, 1989, 1994 and 2004. Congress candidates had won from Suryapet in five elections held in 1972, 1978, 1999, 2004 and 2009. From Miryalaguda, the Congress has won seven times, in 1962, 1967, 1972, 1983, 1985, 1989 and 2014.

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The delay in announcing candidates for these constituencies is said to be due to the faction wars in the Congress. TPCC president A Revanth Reddy, according to party sources, was delaying the announcement so that dissident leaders would not get time to file nominations as rebels.

Meanwhile, two Congress leaders, Ramreddy Damodhar Reddy and Patel Ramesh Reddy, filed their nominations with the Returning Officer of Suryapet without furnishing B-forms. Names of Congress leaders including Mothkupalli Narsimhulu, Mandula Saidulu and Adhanki Dayakar were heard prominently as possible candidates for Thungathurthi. Dayakar had posted a video on social media saying he would file his nomination for Thungathurthi on Friday.

A Congress leader, on the condition of anonymity, said such a political atmosphere would badly affect whatever prospects the party had in these constituencies.