Parties scout for winning candidates as Karimnagar municipal polls approach

With municipal elections resuming in Karimnagar, political parties are actively searching for candidates with strong winning prospects. Despite pressure from senior leaders, parties are prioritising winnability over seniority.

Karimnagar: As the process for municipal elections resumes, political parties have begun searching for suitable candidates.

Besides conducting surveys, several other methods are adopted to identify the best aspirants among leaders vying to contest the civic polls. There are two municipal corporations and 13 municipalities in the erstwhile Karimnagar district.

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While parties are looking for winning aspirants, leaders keen on contesting the elections are approaching party leadership circles to secure confirmed tickets. However, political parties determined to win a majority of civic bodies are scouting for capable candidates, irrespective of seniority.

In almost all parties, senior leaders mount pressure on the leadership for tickets by projecting their seniority. However, the parties insist on) giving tickets only to candidates with winning prospects.

During a recent press conference, Choppadandi MLA and District Congress Committee president Medipally Satyam made it clear that tickets would be given only to winning candidates. He also said that leaders from other political parties would be accommodated if they are willing to contest on behalf of the Congress party.

Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar also made similar statements.

Congress, BRS, BJP and other political parties seek to identify leaders who have influence among people in their respective divisions and wards. To assess the strength of candidates, surveys are conducted across divisions and wards.

The ruling Congress party is also frequently receiving intelligence reports on aspirants. The TPCC has already instructed party units to send the names of six probable candidates from each division.

As parties focus on the strength of leaders, aspirants try to woo elders and local committees. Former corporators and ward members convene meetings and highlight the works carried out by them in the past.

In some municipalities, parties are also enquiring into the financial status of candidates, it is learnt.