Congress in-charge Manickam Tagore said that the TPCC would be announced after Nagarjuna Sagar bypoll and added that the party leaders would work with unity. “The Sagar bypoll is crucial for us and the party would strive for victory and the bypoll will help in regaining the past glory of the party,” Tagore said while addressing a media conference adding that Uttam Kumar Reddy would continue to be the TPCC chief till the bypoll.
Though it gave Telangana, the Congress has been facing defeats. After the 2019 general elections, the party lost in two bye-elections and GHMC polls. In all these elections, the party talked of working with unity. The party candidate Uttam Padmavati lost from Kodada, where TPCC had resigned after getting elected to Lok Sabha. She lost with a majority of 40000 votes. Shanampudi Saidi Reddy of TRS won here. Later, in Dubbaka and GHMC elections, the attitude of some leaders was totally different. When Tagore says the party would get its glory, he accepts that the party is in a downtrend. For many years it is said that the reason for the pathetic condition of the party was either because of backstabbing by leaders or lack of cadre.
In Dubbaka, Cheruku Muthyam Reddy’s son Srinivas Reddy was given the ticket at the last minute after he joined the party from TRS. The damage was already done. Very few leaders campaigned and senior leaders stayed away. The party leaders said that they could not get time in Dubbaka and they would show their abilities in the GHMC elections. But the party is on death knell. Few leaders are saying that the TRS and BJP leaders were playing games raking up religious sentiments hence they could not get votes.
Presently, a candidate has to be selected for the Nagarjuna Sagar bypoll. Jana Reddy’s name is doing rounds for the ticket. There were speculations that he would join BJP but he condemned the rumours. His son Raghuveer Reddy is also trying for the ticket. Except for being a veteran Congress leader and his following in the constituency, there is no other sympathy for the Congress party. It can be said that the integrity of the Congress leaders is being doubted with elected representatives joining the TRS. It is known to all how the leaders are creating a ruckus.
Will there be a change with the appointment of a new PCC Chief? Can it challenge the TRS and BJP? There are no replies to these questions. However, it will create enthusiasm among dejected workers. There is no answer with the Congress leaders when asked why people should vote Congress instead of TRS and BJP. The party believes that reminding people that Congress gave Telangana would be enough. The issues in Nagarjuna Sagar would set the agenda of future elections. The party leaders say that there is internal democracy in the party and there is a freedom to express opinions. But there are no steps to increase enthusiasm in the cadre. What will happen in Sagar whether or not all leaders would unite for the victory of the party? It will depend on the decisions of the party.
