Congress seeks local leaders’ advice for state chief selection

NEW DELHI: In a bid to build consensus over the appointments of party chiefs in many states, the Congress is seeking suggestions from block- and district-level leaders on suitable candidates for the top posts, people familiar with the developments said.

The move is largely aimed at checking infighting in states and uniting warring factions, a Congress functionary said on condition of anonymity. The Congress leadership has asked the state incharges to start the consensusbuilding exercise across the country, he added. The process has kicked off in many states, including Telangana and Maharashtra.

In Telangana, All India Congress Committee (AICC) incharge Manickam Tagore has so far met 160 leaders, including former Union and state ministers, members of Parliament and legislators, to discuss the names for the new state chief and also the party’s revival strategy. “In the next few days, I am going to meet 500 leaders from block to district and state level leaders,” Tagore said.

He said the broad-based consultation process has been initiated to evolve a consensus on the state leadership issue and also to formulate the party’s revival plan ahead of the 2023 assembly elections.

Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy resigned from the post soon after the assembly elections in 2018 but was asked to continue till a replacement was found. The Congress managed to win 19 seats in 2018, two fewer than its 2014 tally in the state. The party suffered successive electoral setbacks despite being instrumental in carving out Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh just before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.