Hyderabad: Dashing the hopes of TPCC president aspirants, particularly MP A. Revanth Reddy, AICC general secretary and Telangana Congress affairs in-charge R.C. Khuntia on Thursday announced that there would be no change in the TPCC leadership.
TPCC senior leaders successfully stalled a change in the TPCC chief by exerting pressure on the high command. Sources said that the high command had almost cleared the name of Mr Revanth Reddy, who is the TPCC working president, as the TPCC chief.
The meeting Mr Revanth Reddy had with AICC president Sonia Gandhi along with his family had strengthened this speculation.
However, on Wednesday night, TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and former MP V. Hanumantha Rao met Congress senior leader Ahmed Patel and discussed the issue.
Mr Hanumantha Rao reportedly questioned how the high command could give the TPCC chief’s post to Mr Revanth Reddy since he had defected from another party. He pointed out that Mr Revanth Reddy was from an ABVP background and had RSS connection and had later joined the Telugu Desam and therefore was not conversant with Congress culture and policy.
The senior Congress leaders reportedly cautioned Mr Ahmed Patel that if Mr Revanth Reddy was made the TPCC president, they would leave the Congress. Mr Hanumantha Rao also asked how the high command appointed such leaders when “original” Congress leaders are not able to get the post. Mr Ahmed Patel said he would brief Sonia Gandhi about this.
Meanwhile, Mr Khuntia, AICC secretary Venugopal, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mr Vikramarka held discussions in the AICC war room on Thursday.
At this meeting too, the issue of a change in TPCC president was discussed. They categorically told Mr Khuntia that if the high command wanted to change the TPCC chief, the post should be given to a “real and true Congress leader” whoever that may be.
Later speaking to the media, Mr Khuntia said that there would be no change of the TPCC chief and no discussions were held on this issue. He said that the Telangana Congress would focus on winning the forthcoming municipal elections. He said that the party membership drive would be held in the second week of this month.
He also said that the party would constitute a committee on the scams in irrigation, power and on the lands issue. He also demanded a CBI enquiry on the TRS government’s corruption.
