Telangana Congress to Charge ₹50,000 Application Fee From Poll Aspirants

Hyderabad: The Telangana Congress has announced that it will charge an application fee for candidates who wish to contest the upcoming state Assembly elections, according to a senior Congress leader. The fee will be ₹25,000 for candidates belonging to SC, ST, and physically challenged categories, and ₹50,000 for others.

The move is similar to the one taken by the Karnataka Congress, which charged ₹2 lakh from general category candidates and ₹1 lakh from SC/ST applicants during the May Assembly polls. The Telangana Congress says that the application fee will help to create a fair process and attract serious contenders.

Application forms will be made available online and must be submitted along with a Demand Draft (DD) of the appropriate amount by August 25. Applicants are also required to provide their social media profiles alongside relevant information to facilitate a background check by the party.

The Pradesh Election Committee will convene in early September to review applications and provide recommendations to the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

The Telangana Congress hopes that the application fee will help to streamline the candidate pool and ensure that only the most qualified and committed individuals contest the elections.