Congress’ list of 38 more candidates for Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls out

The Congress party on Monday announced 38 candidates for next month’s Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.

The party’s Central Election Committee had selected the candidates for the May 13 elections and the Congress changed its nominees in 10 Assembly segments.

With this, the party has so far declared 142 candidates for the Assembly polls as it had earlier announced 114 names.

In the latest list released by AICC General Secretary, KC Venugopal, the party has changed its candidates in 10 constituencies.

Mulam Reddy Dhruva Kumar Reddy will be the Congress’ candidate from Pulivendula against Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party President, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Pulivendula is one of the segments under Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency, where CM Reddy’s sister and state Congress chief, YS Sharmila Reddy is contesting against her cousin and YSRCP candidate Avinash Reddy.

Simultaneous elections to the 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats are scheduled on May 13.

Under the seat sharing pact with the CPI(M), the Congress has left Araku Lok Sabha and eight Assembly seats for its ally.

The party on Sunday night announced candidates for nine Lok Sabha seats. With this the party has declared candidates for 20 Lok Sabha seats.

The grand old party drew a blank in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in both 2014 and 2019, apparently due to public anger over bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh.

The party’s vote share has dropped to below two per cent and it is struggling to regain lost ground in its former stronghold.