TPCC members await Thakre’s visit with list of grievances
Hyderabad: New Congress’ Telangana incharge Manikrao Thakre will arrive here on Wednesday, with local leaders expecting sparks to fly over an array of issues that are likely to be discussed during his two-day maiden tour.
Thakre is considered a close ally to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and is a key part of his plan to implement his vision in Telangana, bringing the state under the direct control of the AICC.
Thakre will be meeting party seniors and working presidents in a one-and-a-half-hour session on Day 1, which will be followed by the political affairs committee meeting.
Local leaders are bracing for the meetings, with many saying that they were ready to bury the hatchet over internal rivalries for the sake of the party. Senior leaders said that they are ready to air their grievances to Thakre.
However, leaders are unsure if Thakre would be interacting with them individually or as a group.
“Earlier, Bose Raju, the AICC secretary, had assured us that there would be a one-to-one meet prior to the PAC meet and a list of about eight to 10 was prepared, with a few minutes for each. But now, it is being said that the leader would meet (us) as a group. How is it possible to openly speak in a group and express views if this is the case,” asked a senior leader.
He said that Thakre would fail to get a clear picture of the “ground reality”, saying that there was no review or discussion following the party’s dismal showing in the Munugode bypoll. “A detailed report should be sent to high command by taking views of all the leaders,” the senior leader said.
The list of leaders who are unhappy with the party includes MPs N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, MLAs D. Sridhar Babu and T. Jagga Reddy, AICC programme implementation committee chairperson A. Maheshwar Reddy and former minister J. Geetha Reddy.
A former AICC member said, “It is highly likely that some of them may meet him at the hotel he stays, as they are unwilling to visit Gandhi Bhavan.”