Congress may announce candidates earlier for Assembly polls

Setting aside its tradition, the Congress high command may announce Assembly candidates in the state much in advance. Senior leaders and Pradesh Congress Committee officials and state incharge AICC secretaries have reportedly asked AICC president Rahul Gandhi to nominate the candidates six months before the elections.  Sources said Mr Gandhi had responded positively to the suggestion which was made by an incharge secretary from one of the southern states. They said that if the party declared the candidates early, they would concentrate on their constituencies which would help the party win more seats.

At a recent TPCC meeting, which was attended by incharge secretaries, senior leaders expressed the same opinion. The Congress practice is to start announcing candidates after the filing of nominations begins for the elections. The process goes on in phases till the last date of filing nominations, Because of this, all aspiring candidates and senior leaders are found at camps in Delhi and Hyderabad, waiting for the high command’s decision. In the crucial weeks before the elections, all Congress leaders would be away from their constituencies. After nominations close, they would have less than a month to campaign.

A senior leader said that if the candidates were announced six months before, they would have time to plan their campaign and meet important caste leaders. They would also have time to resolve differences among the party leaders, if any. Some leaders wanted the candidates to be announced in constituencies where there are no controversies. In selecting the candidates, the high command has simplified the procedure. The state incharges have been given full power to select the nominees.  The AICC has appointed three secretaries as incharges for Telangana state and divided the state's 17 Lok Sabha seats between them for the purpose.