The residuary state of Andhra Pradesh [Seemandhra region] will go for polling on May 7th and as the date is nearing, all the parties are busy finalizing candidates. However, Congress is the only party which is facing a drought of candidates as majority of them have defected to other parties subsequent to the formation of Telangana.

AP-PCC chief Raghuveera, ex- PCC chief Botsa, Union ministers Jairam Ramesh and Chiranjeevi were involved in selection of candidates. And after hectic deliberations, the first list of candidates was released. A total of 159 contestant names were released and in which139 Assembly and 20 Lok Sabha seats occupy.  

Out of the 20 Lok Sabha seats, seven sitting MPs will seek re-elections and Congress has pinned high hopes on these MPs. And in the remaining 14, seven are new faces and it is going to be a tough job for the new comers as the negative waves are floating on the Congress in the view of bifurcation. To regain the national capital, AP state is very crucial for Congress.

Coming to the Assembly segments, more than half of 139 are absolutely new faces and Congress party will face a acid test here. Raghuveera, Botsa, Sai Pratap Reddy and Sailajanath will seek re-elections while the newcomers are very nervous. Congress high command used the trump card in selection of candidates giving 30 seats to SCs and STs targetting the weaker sections. It is also in the air that Congress top leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will campaign these weaker constituencies to gain the confidence of people which will eventually act like a moral boost for it.

Congress is also fastly moving the gears to bring back the lost leaders and it marginally succeeded in it by bringing expelled MP Sai Pratap, ex-minister Sailajanath. PCC sources say that there are many others who are in still in touch and are expected to re-join the party at an appropriate time. Candidates for  36 Assembly seats and 15 Lok Sabha seats are yet to be finalized and by the end of nomination date, Congress is estimating that more leaders to join it.

However, with TDP and YSR Congress waves strong enough, Congress newcomers are more worried than anyone else. Will active campaign of Congress high command leaders help them ? Will they answer effectively to the people in the bifurcation issue and gain the confidence of voter ? Will the weaker sections support Congress ? All these questions will be answered on May 16th.

In 2009 elections, the Congress has won 107 assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra and it is purely due to the magic of YSR. Good luck Congress! 

(AW: Vamshi)