Cong starts hunt for by-polls' candidates

Hyderabad, Sept 01 (INN): Sensing that the Speaker Nadendla Manohar might accept the resignations submitted by 26 pro-Jagan MLAs, the Congress party has begun the hunt for candidates for the likely by-polls.

Sources close to PCC President Botsa Satyanarayana told INN that the process of short-listing suitable candidates for each constituency has been initiated. However, unlike regular trend the party is not finding many aspirants in almost all the constituencies.

In many cases, the aspirants lack the potential to contest and win the elections. During his recent tour to Vizianagaram, Visakhapatham and East Godavari districts that concluded on Thursday, Botsa had detailed deliberations with the district leaders and reportedly asked them to find suitable candidates.

However, the differences within the Congress party, especially with those belonging to erstwhile Praja Rajyam Party have worsened the situation. The ex-PRP leaders say that the Congress should give them ticket as a reward of merger, whereas, the Congress leaders insist that they must be awarded for loyalty.

However, sources say, the leaders in the both the categories lack enough potential to counter the pro-Jagan wave that prevails in the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra region.

The Congress is keen on winning a majority of seats, if not all, in the by-elections to save its prestige. Any mistake in the selection of candidates would not only empower Jagan Mohan Reddy, but it would change the contours of politics for future elections.

Any gain in the by-polls would be termed as a victory for YSR Congress and heavy loss for the Congress party. Since the stakes are very high for the Congress, the party is trying to play both safe and aggressively.

The by-polls would also be viewed as mini-election or a rehearsal for the 2014 general elections. Twenty nine MLAs, including the three who had earlier resigned from Telangana, hailed from 13 districts.

Of them, 26 MLAs represent assembly constituencies in Guntur, Srikakulam, Kurnool, West Godavari, Nellore, Anantapur, Kadapa, East Godavari, Chittoor and Prakasam. Among others, Konda Surekha is from Warangal, K Jayasudha from Secunderabad and Sunitha is from Khammam district.

Therefore, irrespective of their outcome, the by-polls would provide an opportunity for the YSR Congress to make and strengthen its base in 13 districts or almsot half of entire Andhra Pradesh.

The by-polls would also test the leadership qualities of both, the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC President Botsa Satyanarayana, as they would be spearheading the election campaign for the first time.

Presently, the Congress party also lacks a charismatic leader. Both Kiran Kumar Reddy and Botsa are not crowd pullers. However, they might use Chiranjeevi to some extent, especially in the coastal areas.

But after his party PRP's merger with the Congress, his political charisma might not work during by-polls. On the other side, after his victory in the Kadapa by-polls Jagan has proved to be a crowd-puller and holds a charismatic image compared to present Congress leaders.

The Congress party is now banking on two possibilities to win the by-polls - suitable candidates for each constituency and Jagan Mohan Reddy's arrest by the CBI in the disproportionate case.

If Jagan is behind the bars and going by the magnitude of allegations that the CBI has levelled against him in the FIR, it might take a longer time for him to come out of prison. Therefore, the Congress would be primarily looking at defeating a new-born party which would also remain headless during the crucial by-polls.