Seniors Versus Newcomers: Telangana Congress Unit Implodes With Mass Resignations

The intra-party wrangling in Telangana Congress appears to have intensified with as many as 13 PCC members resigning from their respective posts on Sunday (18 December), protesting the remarks of some senior leaders that those who ‘migrated’ to Congress from other parties got prominence.

The 13 members include sitting Congress MLA Danasari Anasuya (popular as Seethakka) and former legislator Vem Narendar Reddy.

This was happened after former deputy chief minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh Damodar Rajanarasimha on Saturday (17 December), in an apparent reference to some of the former TDP leaders who joined the Congress, sought to know what message would it give to ‘original Congress activists’ if those who ‘migrated’ to the Congress from other parties got prominence.

He was flanked by senior party leaders like CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Congress Lok Sabha member N Uttam Kumar Reddy, former MP Madhu Yashki Goud and party MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy (known as Jagga Reddy) when he made the comments.

The dissatisfaction of these leaders is seen as directed towards the State Congress president and MP A Congress .

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President, Revanth Reddy without directly responding to reporters’ queries on the internal bickering, said the party high command will look into all the issues.

Revanth Reddy, a two time MLA elected on TDP ticket and presently an MP elected on Congress party ticket, has seen a meteoric rise in the state politics after he joined Congress party from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 2017. He was later made Telangana Congress chief in 2021.

Under him, Congress party in Telangana continues to perform dismally with severe defeat in Huzurabad and Munugode bypolls.

After Revanth Reddy took charge, many leaders like Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, Marri Sashidhar Reddy have quit the party to join BJP.

While supporters of Revanth claim that seniors in Congress lack a tough approach against both TRS and BJP, Congress workers opposing Revanth Reddy allege that he took a dictatorial approach to build self image rather than the party’s political prospects.

With increasing internal strife within Congress, BJP may continue to garner the opposition space in the state. By giving a tough fight to the ruling TRS (now BRS) in the Congress stronghold like Munugode constituency in Southern Telangana, BJP has already established itself as the principal opposition party in the state.

(With inputs from PTI)