The Congress on Monday night released its first list of 65 candidates for the December 7 Telangana Assembly polls, with state party chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy to contest from the Huzurnagar constituency.
The list was released after a marathon meeting of the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) chaired by party president Rahul Gandhi.
All state Congress leaders were present at the meeting.
The Congress is seeking to upstage K Chandrashekar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the southern state.
The list was released late at night by CEC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik.
The 119-member assembly was dissolved on September 6 on the recommendation of the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS government, more than eight months ahead of the expiry of its term, paving the way for early elections.
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The TRS has already announced its candidates for 107 segments, including 105 at one go within minutes of the assembly dissolution, giving itself a jump-start to the campaign and stunning the opposition.
It is going alone in the poll, as is the BJP.
The main opposition Congress forged an electoral pact with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) headed by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) founded by retired Osmania University Political Science Professor Kodandaram and the Communist Party of India.
The Congress is seeking to have an electoral understanding on various seats with Naidu's TDP, which was an ally of the ruling NDA, had walked out of the ruling alliance some time ago over the issue of the Centre not granting special status to Andhra Pradesh.
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Naidu is now meeting various opposition leaders and is seeking to be a part of a united front of various parties to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Polling in Telangana will be held on December 7.
