B Mahesh Kumar Goud, the president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), announced on Tuesday that Justice Sudarshan Reddy is not pursuing a Rajya Sabha seat. A decision on the party’s candidates will be finalized by Wednesday. The party high command will decide if one or two members from the state will secure Rajya Sabha positions.
Goud met with media at Gandhi Bhavan and shared that he had discussions with AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal about the Rajya Sabha elections when Venugopal visited the state on Monday.
The party spent 30 minutes discussing the issue, considering social group representation before forwarding names. Goud mentioned that 16 candidates have applied for the Upper House. The list includes effective leaders from the BC and SC communities. The final decision will be announced by Wednesday. Further talks may take place in Delhi or over the phone.
Goud criticized the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for allegedly prioritizing corporate interests over those who supported the Telangana movement. He questioned if the BRS had given opportunities to Telangana activists.
Goud also mentioned that appointments to certain corporation positions are expected in March, and the process is ongoing. The party aims to acquire one acre of land in each district for building party offices.
On organizational issues, five District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents were denied certificates for not completing party training. These include Raj Thakur, Beerla Ilaiah, Chikkudu Vamsi Krishna, Medipalli Sathyam, and Vajresh Yadav. Some DCC presidents reported to Rahul Gandhi about non-cooperation from MLAs in certain districts.
Goud stated that Rahul Gandhi instructed him to address this matter. He immediately contacted the concerned MLAs. The Congress aims to strengthen its presence in all districts, with ministers required to visit DCC offices monthly. He clarified that he hadn’t singled out any minister regarding training participation.
Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy responded to comments by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, expressing confidence in Congress forming the government in Kerala.
Goud criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre’s trade policies, including Indo-US trade deals, for harming farmers. He predicted Rahul Gandhi as a future Prime Minister and demanded responses from the BJP and RSS concerning allegations against Modi.
Regarding former BRS leader K Kavitha, Goud stated that the Congress would respect the law in her case.
