In Telangana Congress feud, high command backs state chief Revanth Reddy

Singh, an All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, made it clear that TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy had the high command’s full backing and would continue to lead the party in Telangana, leaving the anti-Revanth camp high and dry.

Several senior leaders who are upset with Revanth Reddy and his alleged authoritative style of functioning were seeking his ouster. Singh spent Thursday and Friday mediating between the Revanth Reddy camp and senior leaders upset with the state unit president over appointments to TPCC posts. Senior leaders such as former TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, working president K Jagga Reddy, V Hanumanth Rao, and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka have accused Revanth Reddy of allocating the posts to his loyalists who joined the Congress from other political parties, and ignoring loyal Congressmen.

Singh told the state Congress leaders not air their grievances in public and keep them within the party. “Nothing was resolved, if at all that was the purpose of the exercise,’’ said a leader who did not want to be named.

“The feeling among many Congress leaders is that newcomers who joined the party recently are getting important posts while old loyalists are being sidelined. This was not addressed,’’ one leader said.

Singh met more than 30-35 senior leaders apart from dozens of junior leaders and noted their grievances, suggestions, and observations about the party. “He asked us to sort out our differences by talking with each other. All of us feel that we should stay united and take advantage of the strong anti-incumbency against the BRS government and strive to bring the Congress to power in Telangana. We discussed several suggestions and I think in the coming days we will all come together and work unitedly,’’ said senior leader K Jana Reddy.

Digvijaya Singh also warned Telangana Congress leaders of strict action if they target those who joined the Congress from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Due to the caution, not many are willing to talk to the media but the consensus is that none of the issues that led to the dispute between the two factions were resolved. The issue of “newcomers” getting TPCC posts was put aside, according to party insiders.

Among the leaders whom Singh met were those who recently joined the Congress, mostly from the TDP. The AICC leader informed them that there was no need for them to quit their state unit posts due to the objections of others. Several Congress leaders complained that Revanth Reddy and his loyalists were running a campaign against senior leaders such as Uttam Kumar Reddy, Vikaramarka, and others but Singh is learnt to have told them to set aside their differences and work closely. The AICC leader assured them that he would convey whatever they had told him to the Congress high command.