HYDERABAD: Voices of discontent continue to echo in the Telangana Congress after the AICC rejigged the various decision-making committees in the State.Former deputy chief minister Damodar Raja Narasimha on Tuesday became the latest to join the chorus, alleging that “covert culture” has set root in the Telangana Congress and that it was high time the party leadership initiated action against “coverts” within the party, who he claimed, were indirectly helping the ruling TRS.
Usually media shy, Narasimha poured out his anguish at the Somajiguda Press Club, where he alleged that some “coverts and turncoats” were appointed to plum posts and were seriously damaging the morale of the loyal party workers.
“Those who joined Congress barely months ago; those who are not familiar with the party’s culture or history have been accommodated in the committees. Was criteria like social balance, service orientation, or contribution of the appointees taken into account?” Narasimha asked.
Without taking names, he said that party workers in Siddipet have been complaining for the past few years that coverts were running the show there.Important leaders like Ch Mutyam Reddy, P Sanjeeva Reddy and many others in the erstwhile Medak district have been sidelined, he said, adding that many deserving leaders who have made invaluable contributions to the party were not given prominent roles in the latest appointments.
“We are not seasonal defectors. I have served for more than 50 years in my constituency. We could understand after the 2018 elections where the problem was. Coverts have to be identified and curtailed. If not, the coming days won’t be sunny for the Congress. I’m not saying this to demoralise the cadres, but this is the reality,” Narasimha said.
He wondered what was the reason to appoint 84 general secretaries and 24 vice-presidents. Observing that social balance was not maintained in the appointments, Narasimha asserted that leaders from Madiga and Mudiraju communities, which form a major chunk of Telangana’s population, were not accommodated.
“I respect the high command’s decisions, but nothing is more important than self-respect for the true Congress workers, who are feeling insecure after the latest appointments,” he said.However, Congress senior state vice-president Mallu Ravi opined that AICC has given prominence to all sections in the rejigged committees, with 18% SCs, 8% STs, 29% BCs and 35% OCs being appointed to the panels.
On some senior leaders expressing dissatisfaction with the appointments, he said that it was possible only in Congress that people could voice their opinions openly. Had it been the TRS or BJP, no one would have been allowed to speak out, Mallu Ravi said.
Acknowledging some student leaders who played a key role in the Telangana movement were unhappy with their names not figuring in the lists, he said that TPCC president A Revanth Reddy will meet them on Saturday and Sunday and resolve their grievances.