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Infighting in Cong as BJP eyes Telangana
The differences between the seniors and the PCC chief came to the fore on Saturday during the visit of opposition candidate for Presidential election Yashwant Sinha to Hyderabad, who was accorded a rousing reception by the TRS led by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
At a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is holding its national executive committee meeting in Hyderabad to show its resolve to conquer Telangana, reports of infighting among the state unit of Congress, which is also a front runner for power in the next year’s assembly elections, have come to the fore.
Rumblings surfaced in the Telangana Congress with Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) working president T Jayaprakash Reddy alias Jagga Reddy raising a banner of revolt against PCC chief A Revanth Reddy alleging that the latter was insulting the party.
Regarding his future course of action, Jagga Reddy told the reporters on Sunday that he will make an announcement on Monday. “I am totally disgusted with the attitude of the PCC chief. If the Congress faces any losses in the next elections, there is every possibility of Revanth Reddy blaming me for the same,” he said.
The differences between the seniors and the PCC chief, which had been simmering for quite some time, came to the fore on Saturday during the visit of opposition candidate for Presidential election Yashwant Sinha to the state capital, who was accorded a rousing reception by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)-led by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
The Telangana Congress decided against meeting Sinha on the grounds that he had come on the TRS’s invitation. “After consulting the party high command, it was decided that no Congress leader will meet Sinha. We can meet him separately in New Delhi, but not in Hyderabad. We are not going to be part of the reception organised by the TRS,” Revanth Reddy had said earlier.
Ignoring the PCC chief’s decision, former PCC president and veteran leader V Hanumantha Rao went to Begumpet airport and received Yashwant Sinha along with the TRS leaders.
Infuriated with the defiance of the party stand by the senior leader, Revanth told reporters that the party had made it clear to all the leaders that they should not meet Sinha, who had come on the invitation of the TRS and had lunch at the residence of the chief minister.
“Sinha is not a Congress candidate. He was proposed by Trinamool Congress. We will only support his candidature. Had he come to Hyderabad to meet the Congress leaders, we would have welcomed him. We have taken a stand not to meet him, after consulting the high command. If any Congress leader violates this policy, we will take disciplinary action,” Revanth warned.
Even though Hanumantha Rao preferred to remain silent, Jagga Reddy reacted strongly. “Who the hell is Revanth Reddy? He is a bachha (a kid) in front of veteran leader Hanumantha Rao. Does he think he is the owner of the party or has he bought the Congress in Telangana? How can he give directions to the party leaders sitting at home?” he asked.
The PCC working president said Revanth Reddy lacked the patience to run the party and was unfit for PCC chief’s post. “He did not hold any meeting to convey to the party leaders that they should not meet Yashwant Sinha. There was no such instruction from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) as well,” he said.
Jagga Reddy said it was sheer arrogance on Reddy’s part to insult seniors. “We are not your servants or peons. For the last few days, he has been admitting leaders from other parties to join the Congress, without taking the local leaders into confidence,” he alleged, adding that he will write to the high command against the PCC chief’s style of functioning.
PCC working president Mallu Ravi, however, defended Reddy. He said the PCC chief had spoken harshly only to rein in some erratic elements and bring discipline in the party.
He reminded that during the public meeting at Warangal in May, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had made it clear that there should not be any kind of association with the TRS and that the party won’ tolerate any indiscipline. “Revanth Reddy only reiterated it strongly,” Ravi added.
