The recent raids by the Hyderabad police on ‘Inclusive Minds’ – the political consultancy company working for the Indian National Congress – were expected to bring all the Telangana Congress leaders together to put up a fight against the BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) government. Instead, the raids have led to an unconcealed conflict between two groups within the Telangana Congress. Members of the two warring factions have been leveling murky charges against each other, reflecting a deep crisis in the state unit of the party ahead of the Telangana Assembly elections which will be held next year.
The infighting became apparent on Saturday, December 17, with senior Congress leaders such as Uttam Kumar Reddy, Madhu Yaskhi Goud, former minister Damodar Raja Narasimha, T Jagga Reddy, A Maheshwar Reddy, K Premsagar Rao and Kodanda Reddy giving a call to “save Congress” from “immigrants” flocking from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). This was an overt reference to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Revanth Reddy, who was with the TDP until 2017 before shifting his loyalties to the Congress.
The senior leaders mentioned above held a meeting at Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s residence on Saturday. After the meeting, they addressed the media and expressed their dissatisfaction with Revanth Reddy, without actually naming him. They alleged that the Telangana Congress chief was favouring certain leaders from his camp by giving them crucial posts in the party’s district committees, overlooking the “original” Congress leaders who had been working for the party for many years.
Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was Revanth’s predecessor as TPCC chief, even alleged that Inclusive Minds had been targeting senior Congress leaders and spreading malicious posts against them. Inclusive Minds is run by political strategist Sunil Kanugolu.
Addressing the media, Uttam Kumar Reddy said, “I am of the opinion that the 33 District Congress Committee postings were made just to humiliate some of us. It is extremely saddening. It is not good for the Congress party to have so many leaders from outside holding the posts of vice-presidents of executive committees. Among the 108 committee member names announced, 50-60 leaders were [formerly] from the Telugu Desam Party.”
Uttam said that the “original” Congress leaders will convene again to “Save Congress.” Challenging the postings, he said that the senior leaders will meet the All India Congress Committee (AICC) soon. Implying that Revanth Reddy was covertly engaged in maligning senior leaders through social media with the help of Inclusive Minds, he said, “The Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand told me that along with defamatory posts against BRS and BJP, they (Inclusive Minds) were making posts against us too.”
After the meeting at Bhatti Vikramarka’s residence, Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy – who is accused of working against Congress’s interest in favour of his brother Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, who recently switched allegiance from Congress to BJP – expressed his solidarity with the senior leaders.
Responding to the charges made by Uttam Kumar Reddy and others, former MLA Eravathri Anil Kumar came out in support of Revanth Reddy on Sunday. Anil lashed out at Uttam Kumar Reddy and said, “Do you have any proof to substantiate the allegations that Inclusive Minds was making defamatory posts against you? It is ridiculous to say that the Congress political strategist Sunil Kanugolu will make posts against Uttam Kumar Reddy. Do you think that the Congress people will believe you?” Accusing the senior leaders who have undermined the leadership of Revanth Reddy as the “actual coverts,” Anil questioned why they did not protest against the raids on Inclusive Minds.
Anil also questioned why the senior leaders did not speak against Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, when he was openly supporting his brother Raj Gopal Reddy when he contested from the BJP in the recently held Munugode bye-election. Anil alleged that the senior leaders had made “internal dealings” and ensured that the Congress party lost the bye-poll.
“When Uttam was the TPCC president, Bhatti Vikramarka was the working president. Is it not true that you treated Bhatti Vikramarka inferiorly because he is a Dalit?” Anil asked. He alleged that Uttam Kumar Reddy also tried to lobby for the post of Leader of Opposition, attempting to snatch the post away from Bhatti Vikramarka who was the frontrunner. TNM has learnt that the senior leaders challenging Revanth Reddy will be convening another meeting on December 20.
Meanwhile, offended by the statements of the senior leaders, 13 leaders, who had defected to the party from the TDP in the past, announced their resignations from party posts on Sunday.
According to reports, Narender Reddy, Seethakka, Vijay Rama Rao, Erra Shekhar, and others said they would send their resignations to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Working President.