Stiff competition for District Congress Committee president post

Adilabad: It seems that Rahul Gandhi’s plan to constitute separate District Congress Committees (DCCs) for all the new districts before the local body elections could not be implemented in Adilabad district. His intention of strengthening the party also raises doubts as to how far he can succeed.

With the ruling TRS sweeping all the seats in the recently held Assembly elections in the district, Congress leaders are afraid that they may have to face the same situation in local body elections.

Even after two years since the reorganisation of district, the District Congress Committee (DCC) president former MLA Alleti Maheshwar Reddy is continuing in the post. There are chances for Reddy to become the DCC president of Nirmal district.

Though defeated by former Minister Allola Indrakaran Reddy in the Assembly elections held in December, Maheshwar Reddy quickly came out of the melancholy and busy planning for the gram panchayat elections. 

At present, Adilabad DCC president Maheshwar Reddy will continue to work for Nirmal district also and if he doesn’t like it, another leader’s name may be proposed.

In Mancherial district, AICC member Kokkirala Premsagar Rao’s wife Surekha may likely become the DCC president. Premsagar has a strong hold on Mancherial, Bellampalli and Chennur constituencies. In the last by-elections, Rao had defeated his opponent Diwakar Rao with 4,000 votes. 

Since Mancherial DCC post is reserved for women, Surekha is trying to grab the post, who has a strong hold on the party cadre. In case she steps back from the contest, PCC secretary Raghunatha Reddy and BC leader Ramchandar are in the queue for the DCC president post.

In Komaram Bheem-Asifabad district, Asifabad legislature Atram Sakku likely to be the president. Premsagar Rao made futile attempts to win over Atram Sakku earlier. But Sakku has more chances to become the DCC president, where Adivasis are predominant in the district. In case, Sakku doesn’t contest, then the name of another Adivasi leader may be proposed.

Even though the Congress appears to be strong in Adilabad district, the results were not as per the expectations. Boath segment is somewhat better where the Congress candidate lost with a difference of 4,000 votes only.

Congress leader Gandrath Sujatha came in the third place after the BJP. Congress senior leaders Ramchandra Reddy and Bhargav Deshpanday apparently didn’t supported Sujatha. Now Ramchandra Reddy, Bharghav Deshpanday and Sujatha are in the race for Adilabad DCC president post.

Amidst all this, the in-charges of block, mandal, committees and constituencies are busy in preparing lists as per the orders of their chief Rahul Gandhi.