Demand for new TPCC chief gets shriller

Hyderabad: Clamour for change of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president is growing in view of the ensuing municipal elections and due to the prevailing political situation in the State.

Several leaders of Telangana Congress have been making appeals to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to appoint a new president to the party. The issue was taken to the notice of Congress senior leader and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad during his visit to the State.

Few senior leaders of the party said that as the change was imminent it would be better to appoint a new chief to the TPCC at the earliest so that the new president could galvanise the party rank and file to the ensuing municipal elections.

They have pointed out that Uttam Kumar Reddy is continuing as president of the TPCC for the past five years. He has given extension for two years more. His three years term has expired in 2017.

Uttam continued as the TPCC president during Assembly, Parliament and rural local bodies elections since December 2018. The high command did not want to disturb the political equations of party leaders in the State in view of those elections.

However, discontent is growing among the rank and file of the party as it was unable to withstand the onslaught of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the leadership was not active. The party has lost all the general and by-elections in the past four years.

As the Congress could see improvement in its prospects in the municipal elections, its leaders want change of the guard for the same at the earliest. The urban local bodies' elections may take place in this month or in December.

Already several leaders have begun efforts to secure the TPCC chief post if the AICC decides to make changes. MPs A Revanth Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, MLA D Sridhar Babu and former LOP in Assembly K Jana Reddy are in the race.

According to sources the AICC is taking its own time in making changes in the PCC president post in view of the municipal elections. The sources said that PCC president could be changed after the completion of the polls. But the Telangana Congress leaders are of the view that unless the TPCC president is changed, the party could not be rejuvenated to face the municipal polls.