Rajya Sabha vacancies trigger a new rift between loyal and turncoat leaders in the Congress

The two Rajya Sabha vacancies from Telangana have triggered internal differences in the Congress over loyal and turncoat leaders. Caste equations and leadership claims have further complicated the issue, with several senior leaders pressing for nominations

Hyderabad: The two Rajya Sabha vacancies from Telangana have turned into a new flashpoint between loyal and turncoat leaders, who are aspiring for probable nominations. This apart, the vacancies have also triggered caste-based discussions in Gandhi Bhavan Hyderabad.

The term of Bharat Rashtra Samithi Rajya Sabha member KR Suresh Reddy and Abhishek Manu Singhvi will conclude in April. Among the aspirants, former MP V Hanumantha Rao, former MP Madhu Yaskhi Goud, Harakara Venugopal, Government Advisor Vem Narender Reddy and others are considered to be front runners.

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Amid this, there is a strong verbal confrontation among leaders in Gandhi Bhavan over the nominations. A strong pitch is being made by a section of leaders that loyal leaders, who have been serving the party, should be accorded priority. On the contrary, there is a buzz that a senior leader, who had been to New Delhi last week, was favouring the nomination of Vem Narender Reddy and retired judge B Sudarshan Reddy. However, this has not gone down well with a section of leaders and has triggered an ‘original’ versus turncoat duel.

Hanumantha Rao, Madhu Yaskhi Goud and others have been serving the party for long, and their services need to be recognised. Furthermore, Vem Narender Reddy had joined the Congress from the Telugu Desam Party and was already given a post, and Sudarshan Reddy had contested the Vice President elections, pointed out a senior leader.

In addition to the loyal versus turncoat issue, the Rajya Sabha nominations have also fuelled BC and upper caste equations. State Planning Board Vice Chairman G Chinna Reddy had met Mallikarjun Kharge and reminded him of the party’s promise to nominate him to the Rajya Sabha. Likewise, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee working president T Jagga Reddy is also learnt to have met AICC leaders.

The party had failed to fulfil the 42 percent reservation promise made to BCs. At this juncture, if BC leaders were neglected in the nominations and upper caste leaders were accorded priority, it could turn into a counterproductive move, stressed another leader.

Last week, when Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud and Cabinet Ministers were summoned for a meeting by the All India Congress Committee, the Rajya Sabha nominations issue came up for discussion.

Though there was no clarity over the nominations, party sources said the AICC would again summon the Chief Minister and the TPCC president for a meeting to discuss the matter. There is speculation in Gandhi Bhavan that the AICC would reserve one seat under its quota and ask the Telangana unit to nominate one leader from the State.