HYDERABAD: As Telangana and Karnataka are set to go for polls in 2023, the Congress high command is likely to appoint Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the in-charge of southern states, in response to a popular demand from these state units to bring the party out of a “sorry state of affairs”. Speculation is rife that a decision is likely to be taken in this regard at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.
The Congress leaders’ demand for appointing Priyanka as their in-charge comes in the light of her gritty fight against the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh, with her powerful speeches during state elections.
The speculation comes at a time when the saffron party is making serious efforts to make inroads into the southern states. The recent appointment of new AICC secretaries, Nadeem Javed and Rohit Chaudhary, to look into the affairs of the Telangana State Congress duly changing the previous in-charge gives strength to the speculations.
The old guard in the TPCC are openly making statements against party president A Revanth Reddy. Needless to say that most of them are also unhappy with the style of functioning of AICC state in-charge Manickam Tagore as they believe that he is not doing enough in troubleshooting. In Telangana, the Congress is facing the threat of even losing the status of the principal opposition.
In Karnataka, too, all is not well in the Congress with two senior leaders openly fighting each one claiming to be the face of the Chief Ministerial candidate ahead of general elections.Speaking to Express, TPCC campaign committee chairman Madhu Yashki said, “During my interaction with Rahul Gandhi on June 10, I asked him to assign state party responsibilities to Priyanka Gandhi. He responded positively.”He, however, said that the State party leaders have no idea as to when the party will take a call on this.
PRIYANKA PACKS POWER, SAYS CONG
The Congress leaders’ demand for appointing Priyanka as their in-charge comes in the light of her gritty fight against the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh, with her powerful speeches during state elections.