HYDERABAD: Stating that the Congress will contest the next Assembly elections under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Friday said that the former will continue to serve as the CM if MLAs desire so.
While asserting that his combination with the CM has been a successful one, Mahesh Goud added: “If MLAs want, Revanth will once again become the chief minister.”
During an informal interaction with the media here, the TPCC chief said that ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs and other Congress leaders have been working unitedly to develop the state.
On the controversy surrounding the recent comments of Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, the TPCC chief said that the party high command is looking into the matter. “There will be no compromise on enforcing discipline within the party. Discussions are underway with Rajagopal Reddy,” he clarified.
Speaking about local body elections, he said that the Congress is ready to face them as soon as the reservation issue is resolved. He recalled that an all-party delegation had requested the Governor to approve the bill passed by the Assembly to lift the 50% cap on reservations. “The Governor has responded positively to our request,” he added.
The TPCC chief further said that village, mandal, and district committees would be announced within 10 days.
“Even without committees, the party has been strengthened. The selection of DCC presidents will be transparent,” he said.
He praised the padayatra undertaken by him along with AICC state in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, calling it a success, and expressed confidence that the Congress would win the upcoming Jubilee Hills byelection.
Public meeting in Kamareddy
He also revealed that preparations are underway for a public meeting to be organised in Kamareddy as per the direction of the chief minister. “It was in Kamareddy that Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, announced 42 per cent reservations for OBCs. We are bound by that commitment,” he said.
Responding to criticism from BRS MLC K Kavitha, Goud asked: “If Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and former irrigation minister Harish Rao travelled together on the same plane, does that mean they have colluded against the BRS? Kavitha and I too have travelled together many times. Does that also count as a ‘mulakath’ (meeting)?”
He made it clear that there is no possibility of welcoming former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s family members into the Congress.
On allegations that the government is politically targeting KCR and his family by foisting cases, Goud said: “Only to avoid such suspicion we have entrusted the Kaleshwaram irregularities probe to the CBI.”
He demanded that the BJP, which had sought the CBI probe, ensure a fair investigation.
Alleging that the BJP and BRS are working hand in glove, the TPCC chief warned that action would be taken against those who obstructed the Indiramma housing scheme. He also criticised the Union government for failing to ensure adequate urea supply, saying it had left farmers in distress.