HYDERABAD: There is an intense race among Congress leaders, including MPs and MLAs, for the posts of TPCC working presidents as the party leadership prepares to constitute a new committee.
According to sources, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud has submitted a list of senior leaders vying for the posts of working presidents, vice presidents, general secretaries, and other prominent positions to the high command.
A couple of MPs and four MLAs, along with a former MLA and an AICC secretary, are lobbying for the working president posts, sources said.
Another key position generating significant interest among Congress circles is that of the campaign committee chairman, though the state party leadership and ministers are said to have recommended the name of former MLA Jagga Reddy for the role.
Party loyalists
AICC in-charge for Telangana affairs, Meenakshi Natarajan, conducted meetings with Congress leaders in each parliamentary constituency and gathered their opinions in a bid to zero in on party loyalists to be appointed to organizational positions. Based on the feedback, she reportedly submitted a list of names to AICC general secretary K C Venugopal.
Sources said that in the first week of May, Venugopal convened a meeting with Meenakshi Natarajan, PCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud, minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, and AICC secretaries in Delhi to discuss the appointments for the new committee.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka attended the meeting via Zoom call. Venugopal elicited opinions from the leaders, prepared a final list, and is expected to discuss the shortlist with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi in the coming days.
Sources stated that among the prominent Reddy community leaders in the race for the TPCC working president posts are MP Chamala Kiran Reddy, Khairatabad DCC president C Rohin Reddy, and CWC member Ch Vamshichand Reddy.
From the minority community, Faheem Qureshi, Feroz Khan, and Syed Azmathulla Hussaini are aspirants, while N Preetam, AICC secretary S A Sampath Kumar, and MP Mallu Ravi represent the SC community, along with MP Balaram Naik and Bellaiah Naik from the STs.
Naini, Parigi eyeing posts
Meanwhile, MLAs Naini Rajender Reddy, Parigi Ramohan Reddy, and another MLA are also said to be lobbying for the working president posts, as they stand little chance of securing ministerial berths in the upcoming Cabinet expansion.
Sources indicated that the working president positions will be allocated to senior MLAs who are unlikely to be inducted into the Cabinet, with the appointments likely influenced by social dynamics closely linked to the forthcoming Cabinet expansion.
The TPCC has submitted a list of 35 leaders for the posts of vice presidents and 75 for general secretaries.