Uttam Kumar Reddy takes charge as TPCC president, criticises KCR over defections

Hyderabad: Promising to bring back Congress rule in Telangana in 2019, newly-appointed TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Sunday that youth and women would constitute a major share in all party positions.

He criticised the TRS government under Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao for only being “interested in strengthening family rule” rather than developing Telangana, which had been gifted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy, as TPCC president, and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, as TPCC working president, took charge of their posts on Sunday at a meeting held in Gandhi Bhavan in the presence of several party leaders from the state and hundreds of party workers.

Outgoing president Ponnala Laxmaiah handed over the charge to Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy in the presence of senior party leaders Jaipal Reddy, D. Srinivas, K. Janareddy and AICC secretary R.C. Kuntia.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy criticised Mr Rao for “encouraging defections of legislators into TRS” and said such attempts would not dither Congress, which was the reason for Telangana becoming a reality despite many objections from some quarters.

He accused the TRS leadership for dashing the hopes of crores of Telangana people by “imposing family rule instead of concentrating on the welfare of the public.”

“Is there only one community and one family in Telangana? Why have no women, no SCs given Cabinet berths?” he asked,

He promised to give more representation to youth and women in all party posts and said that he would also involve all senior leaders of the party in key decision making.

Referring to the ongoing CID investigations into alleged irregularities in the Indiramma Housing, taken up during the erstwhile Congress government in which he had served as housing minister, Mr Uttam Kumar said, “If any irregularities are proved, then hang me; we are not afraid of any investigations and probes, but in the name of investigation if you try to harass the gullible public, we will not tolerate and resist all such moves. What happened to the two-bed room houses that the government had promised?”

TPCC working president Mr Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said Congressmen should concentrate on strengthening the party to regain the lost glory and it would not be tough for the Congress to defeat TRS in the coming polls.

He said that the CM had been making statements that the Congress was finished in Telangana, which everyone knew was impossible. He said people were already angry with the CM for his false promises.