Cong workers protest against ticket distribution outside Rahul's residence, detained

Congress Party workers gathered outside the residence of party President Rahul Gandhi to stage a protest after the list of candidates for Rajasthan Assembly Elections was released and were detained by police.

One of the disgruntled party workers said, "Instead of parachute candidates, I request him (Rahul Gandhi) to give tickets to those who gave blood and toil to the Congress."

The Congress released its first list of 152 candidates for the Rajasthan assembly elections. The list includes the names of Sachin Pilot, the leader of opposition in the state, and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

After detailed deliberations at the party's Central Election Committee, it was decided that Pilot, who is the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) chief, will contest from Tonk, while Gehlot will contest from his home turf - Sardarpura constituency.

Meanwhile, senior party leaders CP Joshi and Giriraj Vyas will contest from Nathdwara and Udaipur, respectively.

On Thursday, former Hyderabad Mayor and Congress leader Banda Karthika Reddy, along with her husband Chandra Reddy, sat in protest outside Gandhi's residence after she was denied a ticket to contest the forthcoming Telangana assembly elections.

The Congress leader, who was elected as the first woman Mayor of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in 2009, said that she has given 30 years of dedicated service to the party, despite which she was overlooked. Reddy was later detained by the police.

Single phase elections in both Telangana and Rajasthan will be held on December 7, and counting of votes will take place on December 11.