Former minister Marri Shashidhar Reddy has criticised the Telangana Pradeash Congress Committee (TPCC) leadership for its lack of preparedness on the issue of delimitation of assembly constituencies in the State.
In a strongly-worded letter e-mailed to TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday, Mr. Shashidhar Reddy noted a suggestion had come in the party forum in the past to form a committee on the issue but no headway was made. Stating that the PCC chief had not understood the seriousness of the whole issue, he said similar passive attitude was on display when the TRS Government had taken up reorganisation of districts in the most unscientific manner.
It was the possibility of increasing the number of Assembly seats that had actually acted as a catalyst to launch the exercise for forming new districts to enable the ruling party take full political advantage, he noted. Citing the argument that increasing the number of Assembly seats would only benefit the ruling party, he pointed out that some senior leaders thought it was not advisable for the Congress party to extend its support in Rajya Sabha on the move.
He felt that the TPCC leadership did not visualise that even Congress could actually benefit from it since it would help take care of the political aspirations of many second rung leaders, who are the party’s strength, besides having the scope to accommodate some leaders joining the Congress from other parties.
Had the TPCC taken up an exercise on the issue, irrespective of the party high command’s decision on supporting/opposing the bill, if any, in Rajya Sabha, it would have been, at the worst, only a wasteful exercise – like conducting disaster preparedness drills essential for saving lives and reducing damage in the event of a disaster.
Stating that he was constrained to write to TPCC chief and place on record his serious anguish and concern for our lack of preparedness, Mr. Shashidhar Reddy said it could cost the Congress very dear and adversely affect its prospects in the Assembly elections with a request not to create a situation which could lead the PCC leadership to repent at leisure by not acting at all.
