Congress seeks affidavits from contesting candidates

Hyderabad: PCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy has asked the Congress candidates contesting the municipal elections will have to give affidavits to the party that they would not defect after winning to get tickets.

Addressing the media, along with CLP leader in Assembly Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday, he said that a meeting of the party seniors was held on municipal polls.

He said that the A and B forms for the candidates would be issued on January 11 and 12. He said that selection of candidates would be taken up on Thursday.

He said that MLAs, contested candidates in Assembly and Parliament elections and DCC presidents would select the candidates.

He said that a list of star campaigners would be submitted to the State Election Commission. The leaders listed in the star campaigners list would tour the State to canvas on behalf of the candidates.

He said that meetings would be held on Wednesday in all the municipalities. He said that a common manifesto would be released and local manifestos would also be issued. He said that apart from these, several other issues of the municipal elections would be discussed.

On the other hand, party leaders Renuka Chowdary, V Hanumantha Rao and Damodara Raja Narasimha expressed their dissatisfaction in the meeting.

Renuka objected to the functioning of the Khammam Congress leaders. Hanumantha Rao objected to limit him to one municipal corporation. Raja Narasimha questioned the need to have a manifesto for the municipalities.