HYDERABAD: Following completion of polling in Karnataka, Congress high command has shifted its focus to Telangana. Against the backdrop of fresh verbal war among party leaders on who should be the Congress candidate for Chief Minister’s post in 2019 polls, the AICC leadership is said to be keen on “overhauling” the party at State level in the coming days.
Giving scope to this argument, TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was summoned by the AICC high command to Delhi on Saturday, had a detailed meeting with AICC leaders like RC Khuntia. However, Uttam did not get a chance to meet AICC president Rahul Gandhi. Later, Uttam came back to Hyderabad by evening. It is learnt that Uttam was briefed about the key changes that will be made in the TPCC in the coming days.
This sudden development triggered speculation on the “changes” that may be brought within the State Congress so as to make the party ready for 2019 poll battle. As Uttam suddenly went to Delhi on Saturday, a day ahead of the resumption of Congress Bus Yatra, some of his detractors have already begun claiming that there might be some key changes in the TPCC.
The TPCC chief’s followers, however, ruled out any possibility of removing Uttam from the TPCC president’s post. “As executive body has not been formed within the TPCC after Rahul Gandhi’s elevation to AICC president post, Uttam submitted a list of names of leaders of his choice for various posts within the TPCC to the party high command on Saturday. We are confident that Uttam will be allowed to continue in the top post,” a close aide of Uttam told Express.Bus Yatra to resume todayCongress Party’s next phase of Bus Yatra will begin on Sunday from Mancherial. The yatra will continue till May 19.
Cong asks CM to resolve employees’ issues
TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and chief spokesperson Dasoju Sravan wrote an open letter to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao asking him to do justice to State government employees. Later, addressing media here, Sravan demanded that retirement age of employees be increased from 58 years to 60 years. He also urged that the government take a decision to give the employees social security.