Hoping for a resurrection in Andhra Pradesh after facing a rout in the 2014 polls, post-bifurcation of the state, the Congress is set to announce its candidates Friday for the April 11 elections to Lok Sabha and the assembly.
The Congress has decided to go it alone in the state, dumping ruling TDP in the backdrop of the severe drubbing their alliance received in neighbouring Telangana Assembly elections in December last.
It got only 2.77 per cent votes in Andhra Pradesh in 2014, with its candidates losing deposits in almost every constituency, as people of the state punished the grand old party for the manner in which it divided the state to create Telangana.
The Congress Screening Committee, headed by AICC general secretary Oommen Chandy, would peruse a list of shortlisted candidates following which it would be vetted by the Central Election Committee under Rahul Gandhis leadership, AP Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy said here Thursday.
Based on our internal surveys and also the recommendations of the respective district party presidents, we have drafted a prospective list of candidates. A preliminary discussion on this was held in the Congress central election committee (CEC) three days ago.
"A two-member committee for each constituency was also constituted to select right candidates, he told reporters here.
The screening committee would go through the shortlisted candidates and the final list would be announced by the CEC on Friday, Reddy added.
He said more than 1,300 applications were received for 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
All sections will get due chance. Some leaders may have left the party but new leaders are coming in. We are not waiting for jump jilanis (party hoppers) to announce our list, the PCC president said.
He claimed people were seeking a change both in the state and at the Centre. People are vexed with these governments, he added.
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