The sprawling Telugu Lalitha Kala Thoranam in the Public Gardens, which has so far been used for cultural activities, will, on September 23, host a brainstorming session of the state Congress.
The deliberations will be to find out what best can be done to revive the party's glory. PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana on Thursday finalised the date and venue after getting the green signal from AICC leaders and Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy. PCC vice-president M. Gangadharam told newsmen that around 5,000 sel-ect leaders from state to village level would participate in the day-long session. AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress president’s special emissary Vayalar Ravi would also participate in the meet.
The brainstorming session would be open for all the party MPs and legislators. The decision to have the meet on September 23 was considered apt as it would ensure the presence of all the party legislators, coming as it does a day after the conclusion of the AP Assembly session (on September 22). There has been a demand since a long time from several party leaders, including the PCC president, for a brainstorming session to discuss various issues concerning the party's affairs, including the stand on the contentious Telangana issue and on late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. But it is doubtful the session would take up a discussion on Telangana statehood as the matter is with the the AICC, with a decision pending. Any discussion on a volatile issue such as this could lead to problems as the whole party is divided on the issue on regional lines.
Holding local body polls, restructuring the organisation, filling up vacant nominated posts and other issues, will come before the session. Except the legislators, not a single elected public representative is available in the Congress as all the gram panchayats, MPTCs, ZPTCs, zilla parishads, municipalities and municipal corporations are being run by Special Officers for nearly the last two years.