No change of guard at TPCC helm
AICC president Rahul Gandhi is concentrating on preparing the state Congress to face the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and has directed the party unit to be ready to face the polls whenever they are held.
Mr Gandhi held a meeting with AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, senior leader Jairam Ramesh, TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, AICC TS incharge R.C. Khuntia and the three newly appointed three secretaries at Delhi on Saturday.
During the meeting that lasted four hours, they discussed various issues including the strategy to be adopted by the TPCC, policy for selection of candidates and winning chances in Telangana.
After the meeting, Mr Khuntia told mediapersons that such meetings would be held again. He said the party had divided TS into three zones with an AICC secretary appointed to each one.
He said the details regarding the appointment of secretaries to the three zones would be announced later. He said that new secretaries would be in Hyderabad on Monday and hold discussions with state and district Congress leaders. The secretaries would have to spend 100 days in their respective zones.
Mr Khuntia said Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy would continue as TPCC president. Reacting to the resignation of former minister Danam Nagendar Mr Khuntia said, “The Congress vote share will not be affected if Danam Nagendar or some other leader leaves the party.”
He said he did not think that the party would lose if an MLA or an MLC left the Congress. “If any leader wants to leave the party, what can we do,” Mr Khuntia said.
He said the reasons for leaving the party may be business transactions, contracts, cases, transfers and other issues. He said if any Congress leader had any problem, they could bring it to the notice of the TPCC leadership, the AICC or Mr Gandhi. “If they go to the media. severe action will be taken,” Mr Khuntia said.
Mr Reddy said Mr Gandhi had stated in the meeting that in the selection of candidates for the forthcoming elections, the AICC secretary’s word would prevail. About what was transpired at the meeting, Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy said they had discussed how to face the elections if it is held in December.