And so the Congress list was announced

By Preeti Singh

And so the Congress list was finally announced. The recent hustle bustle at Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress center here in Hyderabad, immediately subsided. Some couldn't believe their luck. The disgruntled ones, denied a ticket, packed their bags and left for their respective constituencies to participate in the "team" effort of bringing the Congress back to power in Andhra Pradesh.

A few days before the list was announced, the AICC General Secretary, Veerappa Moily, came to town to have a closed door meeting with the Andhra Pradesh Congess Committee President D Srinivas and the Chief Minister YSR Reddy( better known as the DS-YS duo). While I was trying to get a reaction from Mr Moily on his coalition with Mamata didi in the east, I made my way - rather stealthily - to his hotel room...only to be confronted by dozens of ticket aspirants, each with a bouquet of flowers (the bigger, the better), a folder of documents and boxes of sweets. While I made my way through the swarm, one of them looked at me and remarked in characteristic Andhra Telugu, roughly translated as 'national media is here as well. Madam, will you please show Mr Moily my file. I even have details of my competitor's wrong doings in my region'.

So each of them had done their home work well. After all, now was the time that their efforts of last five years were to culminate. Finally, after much smiling and flaunting my channel logo, I gained access to Moily saar and heard him say firmly, "No one should come to Delhi. I will blacklist anyone who comes to Delhi."

So who are the lucky ones to be favoured by the DS-YS duo?

While YSR has chosen to remain with his previous constituency of Pullivendula, he has gifted his son Jagan Mohan Reddy, his 'family' seat of Kaddapah. What's interesting to note is that the usually reclusive Mr Jagan had decided to hold a press conference, not so long ago, to clear himself of his alleged ties with a certain not-so-popular IT icon, a certain Raju. And had tactfully, much like his father, dodged questions on him joining politics saying, "Honestly, I'm not too sure, for I am a businessman first."

Well though the list retains most of its sitting MPs, there were massive apprehensions about Madhu Yashki Goud, the Nizamabad MP, being able to retain his seat, considering APCC Prez, DS's interest in it for himself. Party sources say that DS-YS had two different lists of their chosen candidates and it was Moily who had to step in as peacemaker.

And while the list was being announced in Delhi, at the same time, back in Hyderabad, Prajarajyam supremo Chiranjeevi was holding his first public meeting in the state capital. Large crowds descended, a characteristic trait of his public meetings, to meet their Chiranjeevi anna. Chiru made most of the moment by pointing out the lack of Backward Castes in Congress's list and promised to give at least 100 Assembly seats to them. While the crowd whistled, hooted and threatened to break the barriers around the media centre, I couldn't help wondering how many of these cheerleaders would become voters?

For now, Andhra Pradesh's attention is focussed on its major opposition party. Or is it parties? Telugu Desam chief Chandrababu Naidu is yet to find the answer, given that his so-called ally, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti is threatening to pull out of "the Grand Alliance", every other day. Even after days of discussions, and closed door meetings, when asked about their seat sharing agreement, the TDP and TRS still give the rather enigmatic answers that they gave almost five months ago, when they decided to fight the Congress together. "Every alliance has a few issues over seat sharing, we are discussing and we will positively announce our list of candidates soon."

In fact, even on Wednesday, we were standing outside the Telangana Bhavan (TRS Office) expecting K Chandrashekhar Rao to announce the snapping of ties any moment, but a few minutes later, we were told that KCR has gone for a meeting with Chandrababu (yet again!). Naidu does realise that it would be catastrophic for him if the TRS left him at this point while the TRS is also aware that their credibility , which is being questioned already, might suffer if the alliance breaks down.

So now all would-be netajis have gone scurrying to their constituencies to ask for votes. As a senior party leader, admitted in a lighter vein, "do-chaar mahino ki toh bath hai, phir wapas yahin (Hyderabad) aake aaram karenge." (Just a matter of two months. Afterwards, we will come back and relax in Hyderabad.)

Did somebody say our elected leaders believe in working for the people? Jai Democracy!