HYDERABAD: As Telangana gears up for the upcoming local body elections, a palpable sense of tension is brewing within the state’s ministerial circles.
In-charge ministers, tasked with overseeing erstwhile districts, face a formidable challenge in ensuring the victory of the ruling Congress in a majority of seats, a goal deemed critical for strengthening the party’s grassroots foundation, according to sources in the party.
During a recent party meeting, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy underscored the pivotal role of in-charge ministers in the local body elections.
He had stressed that the ministers must take full responsibility for achieving an excellent electoral performance across districts. Expressing dissatisfaction with their current efforts, Revanth urged the ministers to focus on monitoring ongoing development projects in their respective districts and to coordinate closely with MLAs, MLCs and MPs to bolster the party’s prospects.
The Congress views the local body elections as a substratum to build on at the grassroots level, with the aim of securing key positions such as Mandal Parishad Presidents (MPPs) and Zilla Parishad (ZP) chairpersons. To this end, the party is conducting extensive surveys from the village to the Assembly constituency level to gauge public perception of the government’s performance and the impact of its welfare schemes on electoral prospects.
Daunting task
The task ahead is particularly daunting for many in-charge ministers, as the recent reshuffling of district responsibilities has left several of them overseeing unfamiliar territories. Besides, a majority of the Cabinet ministers are navigating their first local body elections as in-charge ministers, adding to the complexity of their roles.
Sources indicate that ministers are under immense pressure to balance the demands of managing their own Assembly constituencies while dedicating significant time and resources to their assigned districts.
Compounding these challenges is the reported discontent among party MLAs, who are frustrated over delays in securing funds for development projects and internal clashes with local leaders within their constituencies and districts. These tensions pose a significant hurdle for in-charge ministers, who must navigate factionalism and ensure cohesion among party ranks.
Party insiders maintain that the delicate task of coordinating with MLAs, MLCs and MPs holds the key in managing the fierce competition for tickets among their supporters.
The ministers are tasked with preventing rebel nominations, which could undermine the party’s unity and electoral success. The absence of rebel contestants within their jurisdictions is seen as a critical measure of the ministers’ effectiveness as in-charge ministers.
Under immense pressure
Sources indicate that district in-charge ministers are under immense pressure to balance the demands of managing their own Assembly constituencies while dedicating significant time and resources to their assigned districts.