Congress forms panel to pacify disgruntled aspirants in Telangana

Hyderabad: Anticipating discontent in a section of leaders after announcement of candidates for the next month's Assembly elections in Telangana, the Congress has set up a four-member committee to pacify disgruntled aspirants.

The committee comprises AICC in-charge Manikrao Thakre, party observers Deepa Das Munshi and Meenakshi Natrajan and senior leader and former minister K. Jana Reddy.

The panel will act as trouble-shooters by pacifying the disgruntled aspirants and persuading them to back the official candidates.

The panel has been asked to address and resolve any discontent among leaders, especially in constituencies where there are multiple aspirants for party tickets.

The committee held its first meeting at the party's state headquarters Gandhi Bhavan. It identified the constituencies where trouble is likely to brew after the announcement of party candidates and discussed ways to contain the likely discontent in some constituencies.

The party had not yet announced even the first list but it is taking all precautions to avert any problems faced by the party in the past.

Gandhi Bhavan is already witnessing protests by supporters of some leaders demanding tickets for them.

The party anticipates problems in constituencies where the newcomers are likely to be fielded.

The supporters of strong contenders among the seniors have been warning against ignoring them in allotment of tickets.

As several leaders from ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) including a sitting MLA have joined the Congress on the assurance of getting party tickets, the leadership faces a challenge in pacifying the seniors.

The party has received over 1,500 applications for party tickets in all 119 Assembly constituencies. After several rounds of discussion, the screening committee has shortlisted three candidates from each constituency and submitted the same to the central election committee which is likely to announce the candidates later this month.