New Delhi : The name of the new president of Telangana Pradesh Congress president is likely to be announced soon. Manickam Tagore, the AICC general secretary in charge of Telangana Congress affairs, will be meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday and submit his report based on his interaction with more than 160 senior leaders of the Congress party in the State. A final view on the selection of the successor to Captain Uttam Kumar Reddy, who put in his papers recently taking moral responsibility for the humiliating defeats in Dubbaka bypoll and the Great Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections, will be taken shortly.
According to informed sources, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal is likely to assist Sonia Gandhi to arrive at a decision. Some senior Congress leaders like Digvijay Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad may also be consulted before a decision is taken. Revanth Reddy and Komatireddy Venkata Reddy are primarily in the race. The names of Bhatti Vikramarka and D. Sridharbabu also came in for consideration. The views of outgoing chief, Uttam Kumar Reddy, also will be given due weight. Although the practice of electing the PCC president was given up long ago, the Congress has its own tradition of consultations before appointing the new president. One of the two contenders – Venkata Reddy and Revanth Reddy would be finalized by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who is expected to get back into the driver’s seat after formal election in the next AICC meeting.
Manickam Tagore gave his findings to senior leaders at the AICC last week. He is in Delhi to be available for consultations. His personal views also will be considered seriously before a final decision is arrived at. This has been the practice over decades. This is also the reason for the decline of the party. Somehow, the party leadership is not comfortable with election of the PCC president.
Also Read: TS Congress leaders in wait mode
There is a peculiar situation in Telangana State. If the contenders are not considered or assured of future positions, there is a strong likelihood of their jumping onto the BJP ship which is anchored near Gandhi Bhavan, the headquarters of the Congress. Interestingly, the offices of both the BJP and the Congress are on two sides of the same road at Nampally in Hyderabad. That was the reason why the party leadership is extra careful. It wants to give the impression that all the contenders will be accommodated appropriately and the services of all the leaders would be utilized by the party.
Also Read:TPCC Chief: Revanth Reddy has chances