HYDERABAD: The Congress workers’ hopes of their leaders sinking their differences soared when party’s general secretary KC Venugopal took a special interest in meeting the senior leaders of TPCC.
Several leaders who attended the party’s coordination committee meeting expressed displeasure over the way the party’s State leadership is functioning and raised several other issues. After giving a patient hearing to them, Venugopal advised them to bury the hatchet and work shoulder to shoulder, keeping the party’s interests in mind.
The main grouse of several leaders was that they were not being consulted by the party leadership while taking important decisions. The AICC leader warned them against indulging in internecine quarrels as they would damage the party’s image at a time when its prospects have become bright in the Assembly elections to be held later this year.
The leaders requested the AICC general secretary to give them election work in their respective districts to help the party win as many seats as possible. They also reportedly stated that the TPCC president should conduct meetings with all District Congress Committees (DCCs). “No such meeting were conducted in the last two years,” they said. Ticket aspirants, especially those who contested in the earlier elections, are eagerly waiting for the senior leaders to put up a show of unity and campaign together in their constituencies.
Initial list of candidates
Congress strategist Sunil Kanugolu’s team has already started making Interactive Voice Response (IVR) calls to gather feedback and conduct a survey on the aspiring candidates. The party is preparing an initial list with 42 names, which is likely to be tabled before the party’s Political Affairs Committee as well
as Party Elections Committee to discuss and clear the names for sending them to the AICC Election Committee.
According to sources, these meetings are likely to be held after the ongoing Parliament session as TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy as well as MPs N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy are currently busy. The first list is likely to comprise senior leaders, including both sitting and former
MLAs. The second list, according to sources, will be released towards the end of September, as there is a possibility of a few BRS and BJP leaders shifting their loyalties to the grand old party after the two parties release their list of candidates.
Kharge to visit TS on Aug 18
Hyderabad: AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge is likely to visit the State on August 18. His visit is expected to give the much-needed boost to the party cadre ahead of the Assembly elections to be held later this year. According to sources, the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) is preparing a “chargesheet” against the ruling BRS, which is likely to be released by Kharge during his visit to the State. The party leadership is also planning to organise a public meeting either in Zaheerabad or Mahbubnagar.
However, a few leaders want the meeting to be organised near Hyderabad to strengthen the party in the GHMC where it has some goodwill. The party has also taken a decision to strengthen its election campaign by organising four massive public meetings, which will be addressed by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. During his visit, Kharge would also hammer out details for the public meetings, one of which will see the grand party release its ‘Dalit Declaration’. The party has already released the ‘Farmers’ Declaration’ in the Warangal public meeting in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and the ‘Youth Declaration’ in the presence of Priyanka Gandhi in Hyderabad. The party is likely to announce Women, BC, and SC declarations in the presence of Sonia, Priyanka, and Rahul Gandhi.
Restoration of Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership a democratic victory: Revanth
Hyderabad: Describing the restoration of Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership is a democratic victory, TPCC president A Revanth Reddy on Monday said that “the truth and justice will ultimately prevail”. In a statement issued here, he said that it is a tight slap to the BJP-led Central government. “Democracy, justice, and truth shall prevail. # Rahul_is_back,” Revanth tweeted. He welcomed the notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat stating that its earlier notification ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements. The restoration of Rahul’s LS membership was also hailed by TPCC star campaigner and MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.