BRS, BJP Pact Beat Cong., Kurien Panel Told

Hyderabad: The Kurien committee, formed by the Congress high command to investigate the party's underwhelming performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, started its inquiry at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday. Led by senior party leader and former deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha P.J. Kurien, the committee summoned several Congress candidates on its first day to discuss the reasons behind their victories and defeats in the polls. The inquiry, scheduled to span three days, aims to compile its findings into a sealed report for submission to the party high command.

Among those summoned were both winning and losing candidates from the Lok Sabha elections. Notable attendees included Danam Nagender (Secunderabad), Patnam Sunitha Mahender Reddy (Malkajgiri), Gaddam Ranjith Reddy (Chevalla), and Mohd Sameer Waliullah (Hyderabad), who faced defeat, alongside winners Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy (Bhongir) and Kadiyam Kavya (Warangal).

According to party sources, candidates who lost the elections attributed their defeat to an alleged "secret pact" between the BRS and BJP. They claimed that BRS leaders and workers collaborated with the BJP to ensure a transfer of BRS vote share to the BJP, thus undermining Congress' electoral prospects.

The candidates pointed out a significant shift in political dynamics between the Telangana Assembly elections in December 2023, where the battle was perceived as between the BRS and Congress, and the Lok Sabha elections, which became a contest between Congress and BJP. They asserted that after losing ground in the Lok Sabha polls, the BRS directed its resources towards supporting BJP candidates, resulting in BJP's gains at the expense of Congress.

The Kurien Committee's investigation holds significance as Congress managed to secure only eight out of 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, despite its robust performance in the Assembly elections just six months prior, where it clinched 64 out of 119 seats to form the state government. This disparity has prompted the high command to scrutinise the factors contributing to Congress' diminished performance at the national level within the state.

Scheduled to meet MLAs and party leaders across districts on Friday, the committee plans to conduct field visits to gather feedback from grassroots party workers. It aims to identify the specific issues that led to Congress' setback in certain Lok Sabha constituencies where its performance was stronger during the Assembly polls.

While no deadline has been set for the submission of the report, the inquiry has sparked concern among ruling party leaders regarding its potential impact on Cabinet appointments, future expansions, reshuffles, and nominations to various posts.