Bypoll over, race for TPCC top post begins

Hyderabad: With the Huzurnagar byelection done and dusted, state Congress leaders are now focussing their attention on the TPCC president's post. They have decided to put pressure on the high command to have a ‘true-blue’ Congress leader at the helm of affairs.

There is strident opposition to the elevation of TPCC working president and MP, A. Revanth Reddy, as he has only recently embr-aced the party.

AICC secretary and former MP, V. Hanuman-tha Rao, has already conveyed his opposition to Mr Revanth Reddy’s candidature to AICC general secretary, R.C. Khuntia, the Telangana Congress affairs in-charge. The expectation is that with the elections having been completed, the high command is likely to concentrate on appointing a president for the state unit.

Against this backdrop, Mr Hanumantha Rao and seniors like CLP leader, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, AICC secretary Sampath Kumar and TPCC disciplinary committee chairman, M. Kodanda Reddy, met at Congress Legislature Party office on Tuesday.

The meeting follows Mr Hanumantha Rao’s recent interview wherein he suggested that the high command should appoint him or any Congress loyalist as TPCC president, failing which he would float a separate outfit, Rajiv Congress, that envisions promotion of social justice in tune with the vision of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

During the course of the meeting, party seniors advised Mr Hanum-antha Rao against forming a separate unit as it could affect the image and prospects of the party.

They, however, agreed that a Congress stalwart ought to be the next TPCC president. They have decided to go to Delhi and present this decision before the high command.

Prior to the Huzurna-gar byelection, there was a speculation that the high command cou-ld appoint Mr Revanth Reddy to the top job, but this did not transpire, apparently due to lobbying by some seniors.

The meeting also discussed Mr Revanth Reddy’s call to besiege Pragathi Bhavan in support of the striking RTC workers.

The leaders wondered how he could take a unilateral decision on such a sensitive issue. Even TPCC president, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, did not inform them about the decision, they regretted. This development would also be taken up with the party high command.

Uttam confident of Cong victory in Huzurnagar

Despite exit poll predictions of a TRS victory in Huzurnagar byelection, Telangana Prade-sh Congress Commi-ttee (TPCC) president and MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy is very confident of the party's victory in the constituency.

Mr Reddy on Tuesday said that he did believe fake surveys being discussed in the media. In the social media, he posted that the Congr-ess would win the Huzurnagar Assembly seat.

Winning Huzurnagar byelection is important to the Congress and particularly to Mr Reddy. After the party's tragic defeat in the Assembly elections, the Lok Sabha elections gave some relief to the Congress and Mr Reddy as TPCC president. If the Congress wins in Huzurnagar, Mr Reddy will have a voice in the high command. If the Congress loses, he will face criticism from his own party.