Leave alone identifying good performers among party MPs, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to pick party probables for 2014 Lok Sabha polls seem to have become an opportunity for the Congress seniors to settle their old scores.
This was evident during the meetings held to identify probables and assess the performance of sitting MPs in Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts.
Prashant Thakur, a member of the Rahul Gandhi-appointed ‘MPs performance inspectors team’, has been touring Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts for the past three days on this mission.
Thakur, the Congress MLA from Maharashtra (Panvel Assembly segment), held a meeting with Mahbubnagar DCC president Obedhulla Kothwal, information and public relations minister DK Aruna, Nagarkurnool MP Manda Jagannatham and some of their supporters on Saturday and Friday.
However, what he saw there was only trading of charges between the supporters of Aruna and Jagannatham.
When Thakur wanted to know the performance of Jagannatham, Aruna’s aides alleged that he was not at all addressing the problems being faced by the people of the constituency.
Having jumped from the TDP just before the 2009 polls, he was not loyal to the Congress and had been creating troubles for the party leadership over every issue, they said. He was favouring TD leaders and workers while sanctioning developmental works and neglecting the Congress cadre.
A verification of all the developmental works sanctioned by the MP would bring out this fact, Aruna’s aides said and asked Thakur not to include Jagannadham’ name in the probables list.
Meanwhile, Jagannatham’s supporters complained against Aruna and her close aide and former Mahbubnagar Zilla Parishad chairman Damodar Reddy, an aspirant for Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat.
They alleged that the minister has been encouraging factions in the district unit of the Congress.
Prashant Thakur enquired about the winnable Congress aspirants for Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat, which is now represented by TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.
While followers of Aruna suggested her name, some others opined that fielding a BC leader will yield good results for the Congress.
Bhongir No Different Prashant Thakur faced a similar situation when he held a meeting with the Congress leaders in the Bhongir Lok Sabha segment in Nalgonda district on Sunday to know the performance of sitting MP Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy.
Some detractors of the MP alleged that he had been moving closely with the YSR Congress leadership and working against the interest of the Congress.
They wanted Thakur to submit a negative report on the accomplishments of Rajgopal Reddy to the AICC.
Four members of the ‘MPs performance inspectors team’, including Prashant Thakur, have been allotted 10 constituencies each in the state to study the situation and submit a report.