HYDERABAD: The AICC has constituted TPCC’s Election Committee with TPCC president A Revanth Reddy as its chief. As with many other committees, the constitution of the Election Committee is also not without its dose of controversy. Senior leaders of the party have raised concern over the lack of fair representation to various communities and the inclusion of “parachute leaders.”
The newly constituted committee has been shrunk to 29 members compared to the previous committee. The party’s senior leaders, particularly from BC communities, are disappointed that only a token representation was given to them in preference to the “parachute leaders”. Some leaders said that the move raises doubts about the party’s adherence to its principles and the fair treatment of long-standing, loyal leaders.
While the newly inducted leader and former MP Ponguleti Srivas Reddy was included in the committee, senior leaders who are equal in stature like Ponnam Prabhakar, Jetti Kusuma Kumar, and Chinna Reddy have been left out from the list. It is learnt that these leaders were very upset with the party. It is learnt that while the leaders who were in the ranks of AICC secretary were included, Chinna Reddy was ignored.
“In the Jaipur plenary, Rahul Gandhi categorically said that there will be no tickets to “parachute leaders.” In contrast, the newbie, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, has been appointed as Campaign Committee co-convener and member of the Election Committee. Remaining committed to the party cause has been our mistake,” whined a senior leader seeking anonymity.
The newly appointed committee comprises TPCC campaign committee chairman Madhu Yaskhi, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, MLAs T Jayaprakash Reddy, Podem Veeraiah, Dansari Anasuya and D Sridhar Babu. The presidents of the State Youth Congress, NSUI, and Seva Dal were also included.
The Election Committee plays a crucial role in the party’s internal functioning, as it is responsible for shortlisting candidates for tickets and forwarding a report to the party’s high command after scrutinising the names of the potential contestants.