The list of Congress candidates will be finalised by February-end and applications will be called soon, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Raghuveera Reddy said at a meeting of coordinators from all the 175 Assembly constituencies here on Thursday.
The PCC president and AICC general secretary and person in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Oommen Chandy addressed party leaders in preparation for the fast-approaching elections.
The Congress announced that it would go it alone in the State, putting an end to speculation that it would have an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party, a few days ago.
Mr. Chandy said that the people of the country were vexed with the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress was going to storm back to power in 2019 under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, he said and asked the party cadre to make the “Prathyeka Hoda Bharosa Yatra,” a bus yatra being planned in all the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies, a success.
‘Loyalty pays’
Preference would be given to the die hard party workers and also SC/ ST, BC, minority and women candidates, Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said.
There was a chance of the election notification being issued in March first week leaving. He said applications would be collected from candidates soon and a list would be sent to the AICC, he said.
Senior party leaders M. M. Pallam Raju, Koppula Raja, J. D. Seelam, Panabaka Lakshmi, Killi Kruparani, K. Bapiraju, N. Tulasi Reddy, Byreddi Rajasekhara Reddy, Dronamraju Srinivas and Janga Goutham participated in the meeting.