Congress working on key panels for TS polls

Hyderabad: With a view to finalising the TPCC poll committees for the next elections, the All India Congress Committee has entrusted the responsibility of their appointment to senior national leaders. 

According to party sources, the responsibility has been given to AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot and Telangana Candidates Screening Committee member Bhaktha Charan Das. 

The two leaders have held discussions with senior leaders of the state Congress, including TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, working president Bhatti Vikramarka, and AICC in-charges of state party RC Khuntia and others for the last two days in Delhi. 

They may come out with the names of chairmen and members of the committees in a day or two. The poll committees would take over the responsibility of electoral exercise of the TPCC such as finalization of the candidates for the ensuing Assembly elections. 

Though the AICC was supposed to announce the Campaign, Manifesto, Coordination and Strategy committees a few months ago, the exercise kept on dragging. 

The AICC leaders were unable to come to a common understanding on the chairmen and the members of the committee. As many senior leaders of the state Congress have been vying for the chairman’s post of Campaign Committee, the high command was unable to make an appointment to it so far. It did not want to stoke flames of dissent in the party when elections are round the corner. 

However, as the Assembly has been dissolved and the Election Commission is gearing up for issue of notification, the AICC has decided to appoint the committees immediately. Party president Rahul Gandhi summoned the party leaders to Delhi on September 14 and counseled them about unity and shunning of differences. 

He has strictly warned the party leaders to abide by the decisions of the party and to work keeping the differences aside. He seriously warned the leaders with strict action if they go to media with voices of dissent. 

A senior leader of the party said that the high command has made up its mind on the appointment of the committees irrespective of the opinions of the state leaders and prepared the ground before their announcement. The leader said that the high command did not entertain any opposition to the decisions of the AICC and would take action if any leader opposes. 

Leaders of the party said that already the Congress has fallen behind in the electoral campaign for the next elections as it was dragging its feet on appointment of committees, selections of candidates, announcement of manifesto and others.