By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: After much suspense the Congress high command has released the candidates list for 111 assembly segments party is contesting in Telanagana region. The list has now blown one more drape from the separate statehood movement which thrived on the promise of Telangana based on social justice.
Telangana has 119 assembly seats, Congress is contesting on 111 in an alliance with CPI. Muslim community which forms nearly 13% of population in the region got just 4 assembly tickets. Tribals who forms 10% got tickets from 7 reserved seats, even as their population is much higher in the region when compare to other states. Schedule Castes who forms 15% of region population got 16 tickets all from reserved seats, Christian who forms 2% got one ticket even that accommodated in the SC reserved seat.
Meanwhile, 3% Reddy community, a land hilding caste in the region has fetched up to 34 assembly tickets.
Ponnala Lakshmaiah Telangana Congress Committee chairman criticized TRS Chief K. Chandrashekar Rao severely when the former didn’t allot proper tickets to Muslims, he suggested KCR showed heaven to Muslims on his palm.
Mr. Lakshmaiah in turn promised justice to the community in the ticket distribution, with the list out it seems TCC chief had different understanding of justice.
In the minimal four tickets provided Congress senior leader and election coordinator Mohd Ali Shabbir is re-nominated from Kamareddy where he won twice before getting defeated in 2009 elections. Strikingly Babar Salim Ali is fielded from Ramagudam which has just 7% Muslim population.
In MIM’s bastion old Hyderabad Congress has fielded Abdul Sami from Bahadurpura where he will have slim chance against sitting MIM MLA.
From Mahbubnagar town which became a bowl of contention between Muslims and TRS after later denied ticket to its earlier Muslim candidate Syed Ibrahim, Congress has fielding its DCC president Obaidullah Kotwal as to give a positive signal for the community. It came especially in the backdrop of union minister Jaipal Reddy contesting from Mahbubnagar Loksabha. Syed Ibrahim who joined Congress after TRS denied him ticket was not accommodated as congress decided to give preference to a loyal party worker not a turn court.
Congress Muslim leaders since a week were staging a silent sit down protest at their headquarter Gandhi Bhavan demanding proper representation in seat allotment. With list out there hopes of some justice have dashed.
Mohammed Sirajuddin Congress Minority Department chairman minces no words in criticizing his own party, speaking with TCN he said, “Just a glance at the list explains the injustice done to Muslim community. While other dominant castes got over representation substantial Muslim population is sidelined.”
Mr. Sirajuddin claims that Minority department made vigorous representations to their state leadership and high command but were overlooked, “We asked them to provide us with at least 12 assembly tickets if not equal to population ration.”
Congress leader claims party has lost a good chance to score over TRS, now he claims list will give a negative signal to Muslims in the upcoming elections.
Mr. Sirajuddin said party leadership has agreed to accommodate Muslim community in the political posts of Pradesh Congress Committee and District Congress Committees as compensation for the lack of representation in assembly. In turn fuelling the notion that Muslims can only be allotted as they can’t get elected.