HYDERABAD: While TTDP working president A Revanth Reddy’s leaning towards Congress is creating bickering in the Yellow party, the Congress camp seems elated, except for a select few, who don’t want a prominent role to be assigned to the leader.Amid reports of Reddy joining Congress, speculations are rife about the role the firebrand leader will play in the party. With Congress already indicating that the state unit will have more working presidents, it is believed that Reddy will be given the role of one among them. Reddy, at present, holds the same position in the TTDP.
It is also being said that the Congress, going by Reddy’s campaigning skills and sharp-tongued criticism of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, might assign him the role of the party’s lead campaigner for the 2019 elections. “Telangana Congress is lacking a leader who can match KCR’s vitriolic attack against the Opposition. Revanth Reddy will fit the role,’’ a leader said.
Congress leaders also expressed faith in Reddy’s mass appeal. “Revanth Reddy is fighting the state government’s policies and has the support of masses. Congress needs the services of such leaders to come back to power,’’ senior leader D Sridhar Babu told media on the sidelines of a religious event at the residence of former MP V Hanumantha Rao in Hyderabad on Friday.Another senior leader Renuka Chowdary too echoed similar views. “The entry of a leader like Revanth Reddy will strenghten the party. We don’t have any problems related to party posts with the entry of new leaders,’’ she said.
However, a section of senior leaders does not want Reddy to be given a prominent role in the party. Meanwhile, Reddy has reportedly started the exercise of meeting Congress seniors in TPCC and seek their support before formally joining the party. It is learnt that Reddy has already met Gadwal MLA DK Aruna. The Congress MLA has reportedly said she has no problems with Reddy joining the party. Reddy is likely to meet more leaders in the coming days, sources said.
TRS snatches Revanth’s close aides from Kodangal
Even as Revanth Reddy is planning to join Congress and organise a state-wide yatra from December 9, the TRS gave a shocker to the TDP MLA by managing to defect close aides of the leader in Kodangal, his Constituency. A sarpanch and other local elected representatives joined TRS in the presence of ministers Dr C Laxma Reddy and J Krishna Rao at Telangana Bhavan on Friday.
Congress assures Azharuddin ticket in TS
The TPCC announced that it will field former cricketer and party leader Mohd Azharuddin from a choice of his segment in the next elections. Speaking on the sidelines of a party programme on Thursday, TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy invited Azharuddin to contest the 2019 elections from the state after the former cricketer expressed his interest to play an active role in the state.