Ponnala Lakshmaiah gets nod for workshop to strengthen Congress in Telangana

Hyderabad: Telangana PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah’s initiative to conduct a two-day workshop on how to strengthen the Congress in the state got the approval from the extended party executive at Gandhi Bhavan here on Monday, which was attended by several leaders, including MLAs and MLCs.

However, some party men informed the PCC president that it would be prudent to postpone the work shop, to be conducted on August 24-25 at Ibrahimpatnam in Ranga Reddy district, after the schedule for the bypoll for Medak Lok Sabha segment is announced. However, majority of the leaders gave the nod for the workshop, the first of its kind by any state, to go into the reasons for the poll debacle and to get feedback from party leaders and workers on how to strengthen the party in the state.

Senior MP V. Hanumantha Rao suggested it would be a good idea to devote the first day to allow party workers to air their views and let leaders speak on the second day. Some leaders suggested shifting the venue from Ranga Reddy district to Medak in view of the bypoll. However, majority leaders told Mr Lakshmaiah to go ahead with Ibrahimpatnam venue as arrangements are already underway.

Wanaparthy MLA Dr G. Chinna Reddy suggested the name of TJAC chairman Prof. Kodandaram as the Congress candidate for Medak bypoll as he has distanced himself ever since Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao took over reins as the first Chief Minister of Telangana.

He has also informed that Prof. Kodandaram would offer stiff fight to the TRS as he commands majority support from Telangana government employees.
Meanwhile, Mr Lakshmaiah decried the state government decision to scale down the security for the publicrepresentatives and demanded its immediate restoration.