Ravi flooded with complaints
Congress high command emissary Vayalar Ravi was flooded with complaints from Congress leaders and cadres over lack of coordination between the government and party and the deteriorating image of the party due to various scams. Mr Ravi is on a three-day mission to meet local leaders and get some idea of the ground realities in the state.
He met over 200 party leaders and cadre at the Gandhi Bhavan on Tuesday. He made it clear that his mission was not to change the Chief Minister or the PCC president, between whom there has been considerable friction, but merely to try and strengthen the party from the grassroots level, sort out differences, revive the party, and prepare for the byelections in 18 Assembly constituencies and the general elections later.
This did not deter some party leaders from pushing for a change of guard, arguing that Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has failed to run the government, and PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana has been tainted by the liquor scam. They said lack of coordination between the two damaged the party and cadres were frustrated with the delay in filling nominated posts and looking towards other parties.
Telangana Congress leaders Ponnam Prabhakar, ex-MLC Kamalakar, PCC general secretary G. Niranjan and others, who had their own axe to grind, said that if the Centre failed to carve out a separate state of Telangana, the party will be wiped out in the region. They were opposed by minister Sailajanath, who supported an undivided state, and PCC general secretary Abid Rasool Khan, who feared the rise of the BJP if Telangana state became a reality.
Mr Ravi, whose visit will last for three days, told party leaders, “You can air your opinions freely on any issue. But give me a correct picture so that I can submit a comprehensive report to party president Sonia Gandhi.” While the CM is in New Delhi, Mr Satyanarayana, J.C. Diwakar Reddy, Gade Venkat Reddy, Paladugu Venkat Rao, V. Hanumantha Rao, T. Niranjan, Rudra Raju Padma Raju and others met Mr Ravi. Several leaders told Mr Ravi that the party should take a clear stand against Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy who has floated the rival YSR Congress.
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