Suspense over TPCC chief may end in a week

The suspense over who the new Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief will be is likely to end in a week’s time.

Congress leaders say that the central leadership of the party may announce the new TPCC chief as soon as the municipal elections are over. Last week the AP state president was appointed and the presidents of the Karnataka and Telangana PCCs should be announced next.

According to sources, the high command is considering five names — MPs A. Revanth Reddy and Komatireddy Venkatareddy,

MLA D. Sridhar Babu, MLC T. Jeevan Reddy and former minister K. Jana Reddy. The first three are the front runners.

Revanth Reddy is financially sound and will raise his voice strongly against the TRS. But he will also act independently and will not take party leaders along with him, said a senior TPCC leader.

Komatireddy Venkatareddy is not in a good financial position. What goes in his favour is that he is the only Congress minister who resigned during the Telangana movement demanding a separate state. He too is strongly opposed to the TRS.

Congress leaders said that as a non-controversial candidate and acceptable to all in the party, Sridhar Babu may have a good chance of getting the TPCC top post.

The party is looking at two issues in selecting the new TPCC chief: he should be able to maintain the party and hold agitations and party programmes, and give the TRS a tough fight without any compromise.

MLA Jeevan Reddy has given the Congress some relief by winning as MLC when the party cadre were demoralised after the defeat in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Jeevan Reddy is also capable of putting up a strong fight against the TRS. But he is financially not sound.