HYDERABAD: Congress leaders, including PCC chief A. Revanth Reddy and AICC in-charge Manikrao Thakre, met Rahul Gandhi at the Shamshabad airport while he was returning from Bidar after an election campaign and proceeding to Delhi. They discussed issues and strategies that needed to be adopted in Telangana.
According to party sources, the PCC leadership was asked to speed up the process of wooing leaders from other parties, particularly BRS, who were looking for a changeover.
This gained momentum after Jupally Krishna Rao and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, who have been suspended by the BRS, evinced interest in joining the Congress.
After Revanth Reddy sympathized with them, the two remained in touch with Congress leaders. The progress was regularly communicated to AICC leadership. Since enrolling new members in the party is considered healthy, even the party's high command is involved in the process, sources said.
Even as Rahul Gandhi and PCC leaders were at the airport, Srinivas Reddy was busy in a discussion with the Sunil Kanugolu team representing the Congress, towards striking a deal at a farmhouse in Moinabad.
The suspended BRS leader is said to have put forth a more demanding proposal which could upset local heavyweights in Khammam, including Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Renuka Chowdhury.
“Both the leaders have put forth a proposal seeking tickets for 15 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats. Now the ball is in Congress's court. They have to make a decision while taking into confidence other leaders and other political equations,” informed sources.
