Dissension grips Telangana Congress, party leaders rush to Rahul Gandhi
Hyderabad: Group politics is again on the rise in the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC). Though the incumbent party chief in the state, Mr N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, has been asked by the party high command to continue in his post until the next elections, some Congress leaders have rushed to Delhi to complain about his functioning, his selection of candidates for the Assembly polls and his attempts to attract leaders from other parties.
D.K. Aruna, a former minister, who aspires for the post of PCC president, left for Delhi on Tuesday with her supporters from the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district.
This group wants to scuttle the entry of BJP leader and former minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy into the Congress, where he has the chance of getting party ticket to contest from the Nagarkurnool Assembly seat.
Congress MLC K. Damodar Reddy, who failed to win from Nagarkurnool, is also supporting Ms Aruna’s campaign against Mr Janardhan Reddy.
They don’t want Mr Janardhan Reddy to join the Congress and be given a ticket to contest as an MLA. If that happens, they threaten to leave the party en mass and join the TRS.
The same group is opposing the selection of Mallu Ravi for the Jedcherla segment by the PCC president.
Ms Aruna’s group in Mahabubnagar district is also trying to scuttle the chances of former Union minister S. Jaipal Reddy becoming a member of the Congress Working Committee and is reportedly supporting senior party MP Nandi Yellaiah, who hails from the Madiga community, the dominant caste group in the state. They also argue that CWC member from the state cannot be from the community, which PCC president and CLP leader already represent.
Congress MLC Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, a staunch opponent of PCC president, meanwhile, told his supporters that he will be meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi in February to complain about the dictatorial attitude of the PCC chief in finalising candidates for Assembly seats.
He also reportedly conveyed to his followers that he will float a new party, if Mr Gandhi doesn’t consider his plea and will put up his candidates in all constituencies.
