Manthani MLA Sridhar Babu in TPCC chief race

Karimnagar: The Karimnagar is going to become centre of attraction for one more time in terms of politics as Congress senior leader, former Minister and Manthani MLA Duddilla Sridhar Babu is in the race for Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief post.

With a series of defeats, the Congress is facing heat from its own party leaders and with the massive debacle in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy resigned from his post requesting the party leadership to appoint a new chief for the Pradesh Congress.

It's learnt from the party political circles that Rahul Gandhi firmly decided to form a new TPCC committee along with appointing a new party chief. Three members - Revanth Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Sridhar Babu - are in the race for the party chief post.

Duddilla Sridhar Babu is the only MLA from the Congress in the united Karimnagar district. He joined the party in 1969 as a youth leader as inherent of former speaker Duddilla Sripada Rao. When Maoists killed Sripada Rao in 1999, party leadership allotted ticket to Sridhar Babu from Manthani constituency, who was elected with a bumper majority and won consecutively in 2004 and 2009. Later, he was appointed as the party chief whip during the reign of YS Rajasekhara Reddy and later as a Minister for higher education and Civil Supplies Minister during the reign of Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Sridhar Babu also served with higher posts in the district. He was the district president during 2004 to 2012 and TTD Board Member

from 2004 to 2006 and vice-president from TPCC in 2016 till date.

During a recent survey conducted by the party in-charge Manik Kishore, it was learnt that many senior leaders of the party supported the candidature of D Sridhar Babu for the TPCC chief post.

From Karimnagar district, IT Minister KT Rama Rao is leading the TRS as party working president and Bandi Sanjay Kumar as the BJP chief and if D Sridhar Babu is appointed as the TPCC chief, then Karimnagar will become the centre of attraction in political circles.

Speaking to The Hans India, Manthani MLA D Sridhar Babu said that if the party high command appoints him as the TPCC chief, he is ready to take the responsibility and lead the party from the front along with strengthening the party from gross root levels.