Congress plenary to back SCS for AP

Members seek holiday on March 17 to attend meet

The All India Congress Committee has decided to pass a resolution on supporting AP’s demand for special category status during its plenary session scheduled from March 16 to 18 in New Delhi. With regard to Telangana, the AICC plenary is likely to pass a resolution on the implementation of assurances given in the AP Reorganisation Act.

Recently, Congress president Rahul Gandhi attended the APCC’s dharna in Delhi and gave an assurance that if the Congress is voted to power in the next general election, it will give special status to AP.

APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy, party MP K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao and others then requested the AICC leadership to pass a resolution in the party’s plenary to this effect. Mr Raghuveera Reddy told Deccan Chronicle that the party’s high command in principle has accepted the resolution.

Meanwhile, TS Congress leaders said there was no specific issue relating to the state like there is with AP, but former MP and member of the AICC draft committee, Ponnam Prabhakar, said the AICC plenary may pass a resolution on implementation of assurances given to TS in the AP Reorganisation Act.

All AICC members have been told to reach Delhi by March 15, a day before the plenary. There are about 60 AICC members in TS and 80 in AP.

MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, member of the AICC, said the speaker of the TS Assembly and the chairman of the TS Legislative Council will be requested to declare a holiday on March 17, so that members can attend the AICC plenary session.

The main purpose of the AICC plenary is ratification of Rahul Gandhi's election as AICC president and to elect a new Congress working committee, the highest policy making body of the AICC.

The AICC plenary will most likely pass a resolution giving all powers to the AICC president to select the working committee members and AICC office bearers.