HYDERABAD: Maintaining that the Congress accords equal respect to every member, from the chief minister to an ordinary party worker, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Friday warned that disciplinary action would be initiated if anyone crossed the party line.
During an informal chat with the media at Gandhi Bhavan here, Mahesh said the party was taking Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy’s remarks seriously and that the issue had already come to the notice of the Congress high command. “Rajgopal Reddy is not only a popular leader but also a good friend of mine. He deserves the same respect as every other Congress leader,” he said.
The TPCC chief, however, said he had a responsibility to ensure that everyone maintained party discipline. “The party understands Rajgopal Reddy’s concerns and apprehensions. But the issues that require discussion within the party should be raised in appropriate forums, not in public,” he said.
“Whatever needs to be discussed within the party should be discussed within the four walls,” he said, adding that Rajgopal had crossed the line on certain issues with his public statements.
“Any assurances given to Rajgopal Reddy by the AICC would have to be fulfilled by the high command,” he said. He also rejected comparisons between the political situation in Telangana and Tamil Nadu, saying the “political dynamics in the two states were different”.
The TPCC chief denied having differences with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. “There is no gap between us. We are working together while discharging our respective responsibilities. Differences of opinion among leaders on certain issues are natural in any political organisation and they should not automatically be interpreted as personal differences,” he said.
“The government and the party are not separate entities. The Congress government is functioning well due to the coordination between the party and the government. The party also has a role in major government decisions,” he said.
On pending bills, Mahesh said the government was “dealing with this issue in a systematic manner”. “Several bills have been pending since 2018 but our government cleared even bills related to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” he said.
Referring to bills related to the Banswada Assembly constituency represented by Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, he said the financial crisis created during the previous BRS regime had made it difficult for the present government to clear some dues. “The government has already released funds that were due and would clear the remaining liabilities depending on the state’s financial position,” he said, adding that the state’s debt burden remained a major constraint.
On land allocations, the TPCC chief said a comprehensive review of allocations made since 2014 was needed. “A comparison between the prices at which lands were allotted under the previous regime and those at which the Congress government is allotting land would reveal the differences,” he said.
On reports alleging that land had been allotted to a company linked to a brother of the chief minister, he said he had “no information on the issue” and that Minister D Sridhar Babu’s statement on the matter are final.
‘60% posts to longtime loyalists’
Mahesh said the party was considering suitable posts for “capable leaders” who could effectively discharge their responsibilities. On nominated posts, he said the party was working on a formula under which around 60% of chairperson posts would go to longtime party loyalists and 40% to those who had joined recently.
Acknowledging “some dissatisfaction among certain MLAs”, he said the party would address such issues through internal discussions.
The TPCC chief also accused the BRS of spreading false propaganda against Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
