The new Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has stressed the need for complete overhaul of the party organisational network in the State after which the leadership would focus on programmes aimed at returning to power in 2019 polls.
Once the overhaul at the State-level was completed, there would be a reorganisation of responsibilities at the district and mandal levels with the objective to infuse young blood. “Youth are our future,” he said addressing a packed gathering at Gandhi Bhavan immediately after assuming charge of his office from his predecessor Ponnala Laxmaiah. Mr. Reddy is the MLA of Huzurnagar in Nalgonda district while Mr. Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka who also took over as working president represents Madhira in Khammam district.
Referring to the manner in which Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and the TRS leadership encouraged defections, he said it was ‘unethical and unconstitutional’. He said a toll-free number that would be functional from the coming Ugadi will be set up at the PCC office here for people to express their grievances or suggestions to the leadership round-the-clock.
Mr. Bhatti said Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao and the TRS had come to power by giving promises that were impossible to implement. People who actively participated in the struggle for a separate State should understand that Mr. Rao and his family members used separate Telangana to meet their own ends. The Congress would not be silent as the Chief Minister went on making mistakes, he said.
Former president Mr. Lakshmaiah thanked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for giving him the honour to work in the post first.
Other senior leaders who addressed the gathering included Leaders of Opposition in Assembly and Council K. Jana Reddy and D. Srinivas respectively, Nalgonda MP G. Sukhender Reddy, former Union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy and former MP Madhu Yaskhi. Earlier, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mr. Bhatti called on Mr. Lakshmaiah at his residence before reaching Gandhi Bhavan in a huge procession. There were enthusiastic scenes and bursting of crackers all along the route. The traffic came to a standstill right from the residence of Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Banjara Hills Road No. 12.
