HYDERABAD: The scramble for the coveted working president posts in the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has begun in right earnest. Knives are out and the lines are drawn. And the party grapevine is buzzing with moves and countermoves.
What is meant to be a routine organisational exercise has snowballed into a full-blown tug of war. Heavyweights and lightweights are all pulling in different directions, each keen to get their way.
According to party sources, the contest has grown so intense that it has become a headache for the top leadership. Aspirations are colliding and egos are clashing while consensus is proving elusive.
A long list of hopefuls has emerged. MLAs, MPs and nominated leaders are all jostling for space. Everyone wants a slice of the pie. From the minority community, Telangana Minority Residential Education Institutions Society Vice-Chairman Faheem Qureshi and Telangana Waqf Board Chairman Azmathullah Hussain have emerged as front-runners.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud are said to be firmly backing Faheem Qureshi. On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu and minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy are throwing their weight behind Azmathullah Hussain.
The ST camp is no less restless. Mahbubabad MP P Balaram Naik and ST Cooperative Finance Development Corporation chairman Bellaiah Naik are pushing hard. Neither seems willing to blink first.
The women’s wing has also entered the fray. Telangana Mahila Congress president Sunitha Mudiraj and former Gadwal ZP chairperson Saritha Yadava are serious contenders. Support within the party is split down the middle. Some leaders swear by Sunitha. Others are rooting for Saritha. The contest is evenly poised.
From the SC community, AICC secretary S A Sampath Kumar and Manakonduru MLA Kavvampally Satyanarayana are in hot pursuit. Interestingly, both enjoy the backing of Revanth Reddy, adding another layer of complexity to the puzzle.
The Reddy community, too, is not sitting out. City leader C Rohin Reddy, Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and Warangal MLA Nayini Rajender Reddy have all thrown their hats into the ring. All three are known to be close to the chief minister. Adding to the intrigue, a section of leaders is quietly nudging another Reddy leader’s name to the high command, away from the public glare.
With too many claimants and too few chairs, tempers are fraying. AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan is learnt to be far from amused. Sources say she is annoyed with leaders aggressively pushing names she is reportedly not inclined to endorse.
The larger problem, leaders admit privately, is the delicate social balance. The power struggle among minority, SC, ST and Reddy leaders has turned the process into a minefield. Appointing one candidate could spark backlash from another camp. The fear of opening old wounds looms large.
Time, however, is not a luxury the party enjoys. Municipal elections are around the corner. Senior leaders are pressing for quick decisions to put the organisation on a war footing.
Adding another twist, several aspirants are invoking the “one leader, one post” principle, hoping it tilts the scales in their favour.
Meanwhile, younger leaders are growing restless. They question the endless preference for seniors. If not now, they ask, when will their turn come?
With no middle ground in sight, the high command has hit the pause button. Appointments remain on hold. For now.