A section of Congress leaders from Telangana have launched a campaign seeking the ouster of party president Ponnala Lakshmaiah, raising the bogey of reviving its fortunes by a new charismatic leadership.
After the humiliating defeat of the party top guns, including the TPCC chief, there was wide clamour for Mr. Lakshmaiah to be replaced. Some leaders even met the central leadership to complain about the party’s dipping fortunes.
Leading the campaign were Rajya Sabha members V. Hanumantha Rao and Palvai Goverdhan Reddy. Informed sources told The Hindu that the party central leadership too was not very happy with the state of affairs in Telangana.
They are said to be cut up with almost all top leaders for reportedly providing wrong feedback that the Congress would easily ride to power against the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
A senior TPCC leader maintained that former Deputy Speaker Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s name was reportedly backed by Rajya Sabha members Renuka Chowdhury and K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao.
Other names doing the rounds are that of former Minister D. Sridhar Babu, former Member of Parliament G. Vivekanand, Deputy Leader of Council Md. Ali Shabbir, former MPs Ponnam Prabhakar and Mallu Ravi. Party working president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy could also be in the reckoning.
A section of leaders from North Telangana want somebody from Adilabad, Nizamabad, Warangal, Karimnagar and Medak to be made president.
