TS Cong infighting intensifies

K Venkateshwarlu
Hyderabad

The tussle between Original and Migrant Congress leaders in the Congress took a new turn on Sunday. Migrant Congress leaders (TPCC President Revanth Reddy’s faction) countered Original Congress leaders by resigning from their positions in the new committees.

Meanwhile, Original Congress leaders abstained from the TPCC Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and Executive Committee (EC) meetings held on Sunday as they announced on Saturday.

The Congress high command summoned them to New Delhi to discuss the issue. However, senior leaders have planned another meeting on December 22 at AICC Programmes Implementation Committee Chairman Maheshwar Reddy’s residence to decide their future course of action.

Thirteen Migrant Congress leaders, who joined the Congress coming from the TDP, sent their resignation letters to Telangana Congress affairs in-charge Manickam Tagore. The leaders made it clear in the letter that senior leaders were unhappy with the positions given to them and urged the high command to give their positions to senior leaders.

The leaders who resigned are Mulugu MLA Seethakka, Vem Narender Reddy, Ch. Vijaya Ramarao, Charagonda Venkatesh, Erra Shekar, Patel Ramesh Reddy, Sathu Mallesh, Subhash Reddy, Ch Madhusudhan Reddy, Dommati Sambaiah, Jangaiah Yadav, Shashikala Yadava Reddy and K. Sathyanarayana.

Reacting to seniors’ allegations, Seethakka said that their positions have become a problem for the seniors. “We don’t want these positions if it is a problem for seniors. We have been fighting against KCR for the last six years on behalf of the Congress,” she said.

Reacting to developments in the party, senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao said they are not against giving positions to leaders who joined recently. Positions must be given to them after they work for the party for some time, he said. It will be an injustice to Original Congress leaders if newcomers are given positions immediately at the cost of senior leaders, VH said.