Discontent grows among Congress members as new leaders gain prominence, risking unity and stability.
New Delhi: The old-time leaders within Congress claim that the current Chief Minister of Telangana, Revanth Reddy is grooming his own team of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders within Congress and has a “Reddy centric” approach while giving positions to the leaders. This has alienated loyal Congress members who have originally started off their political careers with Congress and continued to remain in the party.
A section of Congress leaders suggest that the high command has ignored the ambitions of the leaders who have long been with the Congress. This could do great damage to the party in future.
A senior Congress leader said, “As these people who have switched towards Congress from Telugu TDP, are mostly in pursuit of power and can leave the party when the tide is against Congress. It has also sent a message that people who have silently been working for the upliftment of the party have been ignored. This has lowered the confidence among the Congress rank and file.”
He further added, “Moreover, those who have come into the party from outside could create a fleet of leaders who will be ready to jump the ship when the electoral wave is not in the favour of Congress. Like what happened in Assam and Madhya Pradesh. Himanta Biswa Sarwa could easily take away leaders from Congress and make them join BJP. In Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia’s exit set a precedent for opportunist leaders to join BJP.”
However, asked if there is fresh group forming within the Congress under the leadership of Revanth Reddy, Congress spokesperson in Telangana, Venkat Swami said, “I think that happens everywhere. A person who is holding a high position tries to appoint people whom he knows and therefore, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is also doing the same thing. We have high respect and regards for Sonia Gandhi who gave birth to the state. There will always be a certain section among leaders who will feel ignored. We are committed soldiers of the Congress and will always see the greater picture by complying wih the guidelines of the high command.”
Several leaders think that the high command should take notice of the old guards and young guards who have only been associated with the Congress from the beginning of their political careers and had expectations to step up in their positions with the progress of the party in the state.
Some suggest that such an activity would not have taken place had the Congress been strong at the centre and the Congress supremo Rahul Gandhi getting right feedback about everybody and subsequently reflected upon it. Therefore, the leaders helming state affairs think they can get away with any kind of activity against the party line.
A senior Congress leader said, “Firstly, had there been reward and punishment system in the Congress, everyone would have been trying to be right in their own way. But if a General Secretary at AICC does wrong, cheat people and does not follow the rules, yet remains in his position, what message is it sending across? There are a few leaders who are shuffled from one place to another, no matter how much wrong they have done, no matter how less they have delivered while in a powerful position, no matter how much inactive they have been during their tenure.”