Hyderabad: Putting on a brave face, Congress leaders from Seemandhra said here on Tuesday that the party had received over 1,000 applications for poll tickets from aspirants to contest elections.
"We have received about 1,200 applications for tickets. Though sitting MLAs, ministers and chief ministers have quit the party, we have a strong leadership in the districts. Ticket allotment will be done in a democratic manner," former minister and senior Congress leader from Seemandhra Anam Ramanarayana Reddy told reporters here.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy said applications would be taken to the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
The first list of Congress candidates will be released soon, sources said.
Simultaneous polling for elections to the Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha will be held in Seemandhra on May 7. There are 175 assembly segments and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the Seemandhra region.
Under flak for "unilateral" division of Andhra Pradesh, Congress has been hit by desertion of a number of former ministers, MLAs, MPs and other senior leaders in Seemandhra.
Meanwhile, Union Minister JD Seelam said Congress would campaign among minorities, Dalits and others in Seemandhra to highlight the message that only Congress could secure their future.
