Money matters for Congress veterans
Congress senior leaders, who had served as ministers several times, appear to be afraid of contesting the coming Assembly elections. The reason: The money power being wielded by the candidates from their rival parties.
In a recent meeting held at Gandhi Bhavan, former ministers G Chinna Reddy, Jeevan Reddy and Geetha Reddy reportedly expressed their fear about the ruling party leaders “splurging money like water” during the elections, depriving them of a level playing field. They even put the minimum figure the ruling party leaders would be willing to spend during the elections – Rs 20 crore each.
For these veterans who have seen glorious days, and many political ups and downs, this amount appears to be beyond their means. No doubt, elections are only for those with deep pockets.
Revanth is a changed man now
Minutes before the appointment of the new AICC in charge for Telangana was announced, TPCC president A Revanth Reddy, who was otherwise defiant in the face of rebellion from seniors, appeared to have fallen in line with the party's high command.
For the first time, Revanth extended an invitation to the sulking seniors, from the dais of the party’s training classes, asking the miffed seniors to help forge harmony in the true spirit of adjustment, while admitting that he was not above making a few mistakes.
Evidently, this transformation had taken place after Digvijay Singh, the high command’s emissary, who was in the city to broker peace between the warring factions of the Congress, in his report dropped enough hints for Revanth that he should carry the seniors along with him.
Poachgate, parties & politics
The Poachgate case has thrown a new dimension to how each of the three main parties is accusing the other two of an “illicit” relationship. Though no party is innocent of using this unethical method, netas of all hues take a holier-than-thou stand.
After the Telangana Congress lodged a police complaint alleging that 12 of its MLAs were poached by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Pilot Rohith Reddy, who is among those 12, reacted, saying, “The Congress leadership is barking like a dog six months after the theft has taken place.” Not surprisingly, BRS was to back him up, saying the Congress was playing to the tunes of the BJP.
BJP State president Bandi Sanjay reacted similarly, accusing Congress of trying to give the impression that it was acting against the BRS. Of course, the Congress has consistently been painting BJP and TRS as homies who fight during the day and sleep together at night.
Inputs: Vivek Bhoomi, B Kartheek & Ireddy Srinivas Reddy