Hyderabad: Gandhi Bhavan, the workplace of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, was bustling with leaders because the celebration’s high gun Digvijaya Singh entered the premises Thursday, with a mission — to ‘calm down’ a gaggle of disgruntled state leaders up in arms in opposition to state Congress chief Revanth Reddy. With Singh nonetheless in dialog with state leaders, slogans of ‘Senior Congress Zindabad’ had been reportedly heard on the TPCC workplace.
Singh held one-on-one conferences with every chief, patiently listening to their suggestions and taking notes, leading to a ‘constructive assembly’ with Singh which appeared to have calmed the leaders down.
The Rajya Sabha MP and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh arrived in Hyderabad Wednesday amid infighting throughout the celebration’s Telangana unit. A gaggle of 9 (G9) distinguished senior leaders had final week held closed door conferences to ‘save Congress’ from Revanth Reddy, alleging that ‘newcomers’ within the celebration had been being prioritised over old-timers, and that there was lack of coordination between the PCC and the senior management.
Whereas stating {that a} majority of those that made it to the newly-appointed celebration functionary committees had been with Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Occasion (TDP) earlier, the leaders had complained that this was an indication of Congress loyalists being sidelined. The G9, backed by a number of decrease rung cadres, had additionally alleged that senior leaders had been being saved out of the decision-making course of by the Telangana PCC management.
The problem caught the excessive command’s consideration after senior Telangana Congress leaders held a press convention and wrote a letter to the celebration’s central management.
“It was a constructive assembly. Digvijaya Singh is a really skilled man and he patiently listened to the suggestions we gave. He met distinguished leaders privately and every assembly lasted for about 10-Quarter-hour. All our suggestions will likely be compiled right into a report and submitted to the Excessive Command, he famous down the whole lot,” former deputy chief minister Damodar Raja Narasimha, who’s among the many disgruntled senior leaders, advised ThePrint.
Hoping that the dialogue with Singh would convey a couple of decision, Narasimha added: “We’re not in opposition to the celebration, we wish to work collectively. However, there needs to be sure parameters about seniority, credibility and how one can be united. One can’t simply do issues they like. We’re getting into election 12 months and the celebration has to remain collectively.”
Telangana Congress leaders, who spoke to ThePrint on situation of anonymity, mentioned Singh met about 20 leaders — together with the G9 and people near Reddy — and questioned them, particularly senior leaders, about work executed of their constituencies and their variations with the state management.
One celebration chief defined: “Senior leaders had been additionally advised how they should keep decorum and keep away from displaying the celebration’s soiled laundry in public. These seniors are all leaders who as soon as held posts. Leaders had been additionally advised that Singh can even meet Revanth Reddy in Delhi.”
Talking to the media Friday, Singh mentioned a probe will likely be initiated if such situations of infighting come out within the open once more. “I request all senior leaders with folded palms that any such talks needs to be executed throughout the celebration and with the management, there isn’t any want for blaming one another, levelling allegations. Additionally, such situations mustn’t repeat and in the event that they do, the celebration will take motion irrespective of how senior the chief is,” he mentioned. Including, “I’ve spoken to all of the leaders, heard them out patiently, we’ll resolve these points.”
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Digvijaya Singh a ‘political formulation’
Jeevan Reddy, Congress Member of Legislative Council (MLC) from Karimnagar, mentioned the discussions centred on the ruling celebration — Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) — and how one can strengthen the Congress in Telangana earlier than the 2023 meeting elections.
“He (Singh) has been despatched right here on behalf of the excessive command. And there are undoubtedly variations of opinion throughout the celebration and to subside them, Digvijaya has come. Points will likely be sorted out, it’s simply that it’ll take time,” Reddy, who met Singh for Quarter-hour in non-public, advised ThePrint.
Expressing hope of a decision of variations throughout the celebration’s state unit, Congress MLA Jagga Reddy — additionally a part of G9 — termed Singh as a ‘political formulation’. Reddy, nonetheless, didn’t meet Singh on the celebration’s workplace however met him at a lodge earlier within the day.
A senior Telangana Congress chief, who didn’t want to be named, mentioned variations between senior leaders and the PCC chief unearthed final week had been simmering for a number of months and Singh was advised about these points when he was in Telangana final month for the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY).
“As soon as Revanth Reddy turned the PCC, senior leaders’ communication was reduce off with the excessive command. Revanth turned the only real level of communication. Sending Digvijay Singh to Hyderabad is an try to therapeutic massage the egos of senior leaders. The state of affairs would deteriorate additional if the excessive command ignored this infighting, particularly after the leaders got here out in public,” the chief mentioned.
The chief claimed Reddy had requested Congress common secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s workplace to look into the matter.
Including, “Singh’s tour to Hyderabad will profit Revanth Reddy extra as a result of it has calmed down the senior leaders for now. It’s not like he didn’t know these points, Singh was advised all these points throughout BJY and no motion was taken submit that. Not like we’ll see a right away motion now, that is extra to chill down the discontent leaders.”
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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