Congress to strike caste balance with 2 more working chiefs

​Hyderabad: The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) would get two more working presidents as the high command is keen on the creation of the posts to balance caste equations in the state party. The AICC leaders, who have summoned PCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy to Delhi on July 30, have sought recommendations from him in this regard. 

AICC senior functionaries Ashok Gehlot and others have been examining the names being proposed by the PCC. The high command has speeded up the exercise on appointment of executive of the PCC and the committees. It wants to announce the names of the new working presidents and chairmen or conveners of the committees in the first week of September as ruling TRS is raring to go for early elections to Assembly.    

According to party leaders, the high command is closely watching the political developments in the state. The party leaders are prepared to face two scenarios, early elections and polls as per the schedule. The leaders said that clarity would come on the early polls after the end of Pragathi Nevedana Sabha of the ruling party on September 2. The Chief Minister has to take a decision on early polls by September 10.

Whether polls are held early or as per the schedule, according to party sources, the PCC would be given two more working presidents and candidature of former MP Ponnam Prabhakar and former Union minister Balaram Naik are being considered.

At present Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka is holding the post of working president for the past three years in the PCC. He would have the company of two more working presidents if the AICC has its way. While Bhatti Vikramarka hails from SC community, the two leaders being proposed for other working president posts, hail from BC and ST communities. Prabhakar is a BC leader and Balaram Naik is an ST leader.  If Prabhakar and Balaram Naik are appointed in these posts, the PCC would have a BC, SC and ST as working presidents. This would address the caste equations at the top level of the PCC, said a leader. 

A senior leader of the party said that it would be good to appoint senior leaders and those who have a good influence among the major communities in important posts so that they could work for the betterment of the party. There are several senior leaders in Telangana Congress who deserve better placements in the hierarchy of the state party. 

Though it has been contemplated to appoint a leader of Seemandhra origin as one of the working presidents, it seems that the Congress has changed its mind. The Seemandhra origin leader may be considered for other important posts.