The Hindu : Candidate selection proves tricky

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 05, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Candidate selection proves tricky

By Our Staff Reporter

NIZAMABAD, FEB. 4. The Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have begun a search for right candidates to contest the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat in the coming elections.

The political equations in the district have drastically changed after the 1998 Lok Sabha elections forcing major political parties to look for new candidates.

This time, the TDP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine is expected to take on the might of the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) if the two parties do not have a poll tie-up.

The TDP is in a dilemma after its sitting MP, G. Ganga Reddy, has made it clear that he is not for re-nomination and wants to enter the State Assembly. His announcement has caught TDP leaders off the guard as they have been thinking that Mr. Reddy would be the official party nominee. The party has to search for an alternative candidate if Mr. Reddy sticks to his stand.

Sources have pointed out that Mr. Ganga Reddy has been repeatedly making it clear to all, including the party high command, that he will not contest the Lok Sabha polls. This has forced the party to search for other prospective candidates.

At one stage, TDP leaders have thought of urging the Minister for School Education, Mandava Venkateswara Rao, and the former Minister, P. Srinivas Reddy, to get ready to contest the polls. Both the leaders, who have considerable clout in the Dichpalli and Banswada Assembly constituencies, have reportedly declined the offer. Incidentally, the two leaders had contested the Lok Sabha elections in 1996 and 1989 respectively and lost to Congress candidates.

The Congress also faces a similar situation. It also requires a new candidate. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the party had fielded the former Minister, S. Santosh Reddy, who gave the TDP candidate, Mr. Ganga Reddy, a run for his money by almost trouncing him. Mr. Ganga Reddy scraped through with less than 3,000 votes. Subsequently, Mr. Santosh Reddy deserted the Congress and crossed over to the TRS.

Senior Congress leaders have pointed out that the party could ill afford to accommodate outsiders as it had happened in the last two elections. The party had selected the former Minister, Kesava Rao, as the official nominee in 1998, but faced humiliating defeat.

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