Who will Manickam Tagore pick as new chief? Telangana Congress leaders on tenterhooks

HYDERABAD: Even as Telangana AICC in-charge Manickam Tagore ended consultations on appointing the new TPCC chief, senior Congress leaders are worried that Tagore’s choice might not be the best.  

Some say that he may submit an one-sided report to the party’s high command.

For the first time, the Congress has conducted wide consultations with stakeholders such as  former MLAs, MPs, MLCs, district presidents, and State office-bearers to select a PCC chief. 

While Tagore was busy holding consultations at the Gandhi Bhavan, some MLAs namely T Jayaprakash Reddy, Sridhar Babu, Podem Veeraiah and MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy met in the CLP office. Later, they called on Tagore and requested him to select the new chief on the basis of consensus. “The right information is not being communicated to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. We have doubts over the whole process of Tagore seeking opinions,” said Jayaprakash Reddy.

Speaking to Express, a former PCC chief pointed out that consultations were carried out without the presence of AICC secretaries NS Bose Raju and Sreenivasan Krishnan in the first two days of interactions.  “Tagore conducted the meetings on a one-to-one basis. He might give a report to the party high command that a majority of leaders support Revanth Reddy,” the former MP said on the condition of anonymity. Further, he alleged that Manickam Tagore and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal were acting in favour of Revanth Reddy.

“Revanth is an RSS man. During the one-on-one meetings, Shabbir Ali facilitated a meeting between Tagore and an Islamic leader in support of Revanth Reddy to make it appear that he is a good choice,” the former MP alleged. Meanwhile, senior leaders are trying to get an appointment with Congress president Sonia Gandhi to appraise her further. Jayaprakash Reddy said that they would go to Delhi to meet top leaders in a bid to “save the party.”

Gauging the mood

For the first time, the Congress has conducted wide consultations with former MLAs, MPs, MLCs, and State office-bearers to select a PCC chief