Buzz grows over new TPCC chief, caste to be decisive factor

Hyderabad: There has been a growing buzz in Congress circles over the appointment of a new president for the TPCC (Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee), with the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections in the state. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has been holding the since June 2021.

Senior Congress leaders from the Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities are making a strong pitch for the post since the Chief Minister hails from a leader from the forward castes.

BC community leaders want the party high command to go with the proven ‘Reddy-BC’ combination to ensure that the party wins all elections in the next five years. They argue that the Reddy-BC combination brought Congress to power in 2004 and 2009 elections in undivided Andhra Pradesh and cite the example of Dr Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy as CLP leader and D. Srinivas, a BC community leader, as PCC chief.

BC community leaders, who are in the race for the TPCC post, include incumbent working president and MLC B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, former MP V. Hanumantha Rao and minister Ponnam Prabhakar. Meanwhile, some from the forward castes are also throwing their hat in the ring, although those from other communities contend that as the CM post is held by a Reddy, the TPCC chief post should not be given to a leader from the forward caste.

Former MLA T. Jagga Reddy and Bodhan MLA P. Sudharshan Reddy are also eyeing the post as is SC community leader and AICC secretary S.A. Sampath Kumar.

Meanwhile, some SC leaders are urging the party high command to consider Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka for the TPCC chief like in Karnataka where Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is also the president of the Karnataka state unit of the party.

Although the race for the post began soon after Congress came to power and Revanth Reddy assumed office as Chief Minister on December 7, the party high command put an end to it by making it clear that there were no plans to change the TPCC chief ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

With results to the general elections set to be declared on June 4, senior party leaders, hoping that the party high command would appoint a new TPCC president any time after that, are intensifying thier efforts to bag the coveted post.