Following in the foot steps of Karnataka party unit, the Telangana Congress has decided to charge Rs 50,000 for those applying for party tickets in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state while SC/ST and physically challenged aspirants will have to pay Rs 25000 as application fee.
The TPCC has released the application form for the party tickets and will accept the forms till 25 August. The application fee is non refundable and will be utilised for party activities, said PCC chief A Revanth Reddy. TPCC General Secretary Koturi Manavath Roy submitted the first application for Sathupalli constituency with a demand draft of Rs 25,000 for the constituency designated for SC candidates. In 2014 and 2018 the Congress did not charge any application fee from ticket aspirants.
The Karnataka unit of the Congress had charged Rs 2 lakh for general candidates and Rs one lakh for SC/ST and physically challenged ones during the Assembly elections in the state. The Telangana Congress decided to keep the application fee nominal which is aimed at ensuring that only serious contenders apply for tickets.
PCC chief Revanth Reddy dismissed claims that candidates have been finalised or that tickets have been promised to certain candidates and said surveys will be conducted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of candidates along with social equations and it will be submitted before a screening committee.
He claimed the ability to win a seat will be the only key factor in the selection of candidates. In the Assembly election of 2018, the Congressed kept seat allotment pending till the very last minute while trying to hammer out an understanding with alliance partners who were punching far above their weight.
In the Assembly elections held in December 2018 the voter turnout was 73.37 per cent. Four months later in April, 2019, it dropped significantly to 62.77 per cent. He urged officers to redouble their efforts in enhancing voter turnout, employing social media, innovative approaches and consistent voter engagement to promote democratic participation.