Less than 12 months to Assembly elections and the Telangana Congress party is split wide open. Already on a shaky ground due to desertions and consecutive by poll losses, the party is now facing a fresh round of crisis.
Senior leaders have grouped together to take on state Congress president, A. Revanth Reddy, who they accuse of targeting and alienating them. The rebel camp comprises of Congress Legislature Party leader Bhatti Vikramarka, MP and former Congress PCC President Uttam Kumar Reddy, MLA Jagga Reddy, former MP Madhu Yaskhi Goud and other seniors.
Though infighting began soon after the new president was announced in 2021, the reason for the latest flashpoint is because of the announcement of district committees, vice presidents and general secretaries. The anti-Revanth camp has alleged that most of the names found in the committee's list were not genuine or of deserving candidates but those who pledged loyalty to Revanth and have joined Congress in the recent past.
Before joining the Congress in 2017, Revanth was in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for almost a decade rising to be a close confidante of former AP CM and TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Following in his footsteps were some of the top and mid-level TDP leaders including MLA Seethakka, who was earlier with the Maoist movement and a TDP MLA, before switching to Congress.
The current issue has taken the turn of old-timers vs newcomers as the senior leaders feel Revanth is destroying “Congress culture” by being partial to those who have migrated from TDP in the recent past and hitting out at those who he feels threatened with.
The biggest allegation of the rebel leaders is that Revanth is running a huge campaign on social media with his personal machinery and team to malign the leaders who are not on his side. This, they feel, is hurting Congress and will lead to the demise of the party in the state.
It may be recalled that some well-known names have left the party after Revanth Reddy had taken on the reigns of the party. They include former MLA Komatreddy Rajagopal Reddy and another former legislator, Marri Shashidhar Reddy. Both of them joined the BJP. In a recent press meet, Rajagopal Reddy even called upon the disgruntled leaders to join the saffron party.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which passed through Telangana also could do little to bring peace and harmony within the party. During the Yatra, Revanth and all other senior leaders shared the stage and also the cold vibes. Post Yatra, things took an ugly turn.
The rebel leaders are indirectly calling for Revanth’s sacking as the party failed to win even one by-election after he took over.
With mounting pressure and finding themselves cornered, Revanth’s faction has also returned fire. Some local leaders affiliated to him have spoken against the rebel leaders and heaped allegations against them. Also, a dozen members who were recently appointed to various committees and branded as Revanth loyalists have resigned from their posts. They wrote to the AICC that the party was more important to them than their posts. They went on to explain how they have worked for the party’s progress and that it was unfair to treat them as outsiders.
There is so much distrust within Congress that the terms “coverts” are being loosely labelled against party leaders. A week back when poll strategist for Congress, Sunil Konugolu’s office was raided by Telangana police for some objectionable social media postings against Telangana government and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, the Congress failed to put up a united show and register a strong protest against the government.
Meanwhile, the AICC has taken notice of the wildfire raging in the Congress quarters. According to sources, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is personally monitoring the situation and is expected to send emissaries to hold talks with the two camps to put an end to the crisis.
