Rahul Gandhi to select Congress Legislature Party leader

Hyderabad: The suspense continues about who will be the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP). The CLP meeting held on Thursday to elect a leader was attended by All India Congress Committee observer K.C. Venugopal and Telangana Congress affairs in-charge R.C. Khuntia. With all 19 Congress MLAs attending the meeting, the party leadership breathed a sigh of relief as there was apprehension that some MLAs may defect to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. 

The CLP meeting passed a unanimous resolution authorising Congress president Rahul Gandhi to select the CLP leader. 

AICC observer K.C. Venugopal sounded out all the Congress MLAs on the CLP leadership. Since Mr Gandhi is not in Delhi, the announcement of the CLP leader may be delayed. Congress MLAs hope that the announcement will be made late on Thursday night or on Friday. 

A likely candidate for the post of CLP leader is Deputy Speaker and TPCC Campaign Committee Chairman Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. Mr Bhatti won from Madhira assembly constituency in the recent assembly elections. 

TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has not shown interest in the CLP leader's post. In the race for the post are MLAs D. Sridhar Babu, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy and Sabitha Indra Reddy. Congress sources said that Mr Bhatti's name has almost been finalised.

Congress MLAs have expressed their preferences for the post. MLA from Nakerical, Ch Lingaiah, said that Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy should be given a chance. He said that old faces should be removed to make way for fresh leaders. L B Nagar MLA Sudhir Reddy wants the CLP leader’s post for himself claiming that he is a senior leader who has worked to strengthen the party when it was in a crisis.