Cong. candidates by June 26

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 20. Congress candidates for ZPTCs and MPTCs will be finalised by June 26. The APCC has issued a set of guidelines to the district units for the selection of candidates. The district coordinators named by the APCC president, Mr.M. Satyanarayana Rao, are required to visit their respective areas from June 22 and district coordination committees would be formed by June 24.

At a press conference, the APCC official spokespersons -- Mr. K. Rosaiah and Mr. K.S.R. Murthy -- explained that the guideline stipulate selection of ZPTC candidates by June 25 and the MPTC candidates by the next day.

The district coordination committees would consist of MLAs, MPs, ex-MPs, ex-MLAs, representatives of affiliated bodies, and district central cooperative bank chairpersons, if any, of the region. The DCC president would act as convener of the committee.

Mr. Daljit Singh, AICC secretary in charge of AP, the PCC president, and other senior leaders informally met here on Wednesday and discussed the poll preparations. The guidelines were finalised at the meeting.

Mr. Rosaiah said the selection of the candidates would be handled completely by the coordination committees. In the event of any problem, the PCC would be consulted. The names of the candidates would be announced locally at the district level. The lists to be released would bear the signatures of the district coordinator and the DCC president.

The official spokesman said the coordination committees had been directed to ensure a fair representation to the minorities, who do not enjoy any reserved quota of seats. The committee members have to tour their respective areas extensively and interact with party functionaries before finalising the candidates.

Sources said the party had decided not make Telangana an issue in the Panchayat elections. The AICC secretary reportedly advised State leaders, especially from Telangana, not to embarrass the high command by raking up the separate Telangana demand. The campaign of the party would be focussed on local issues and the ``failures'' of the Government, a senior leader pointed out.

Readmitted: Mr. Gnaneswar, ex-mandal president of Qutubullahpur, who was earlier suspended from the party for anti-party activity in the last Assembly elections, was readmitted into the party by the PCC president in the presence of Mr.M. Ravinder Reddy, former APCC president, Mr.K. Ram Reddy, former Minister and Mr.Bhupal Reddy, Medak district coordinator.

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