More women will be given nomination for 2019 polls : Congress

Hyderabad: TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday promised more representation and empowerment for women in the Congress, and promised to elevate Mahila Congress chief Nerella Sarada as MLC.

Participating in a Mahila Congress convention at Gandhi Bhavan, Mr Reddy said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had earned the dubious distinction of running a Cabinet without a woman representative.

He said the Congress had nominated Ms Akula Lalitha as MLC; she was the only woman in the Legislative Council.

He asked the Mahila Congress cadre to campaign vigorously on the plank that the TRS was anti-women and anti-women empowerment. Claiming that it would be a fight between the TRS and the Congress in 2019, he said there was no room for other parties.

There were celebrations at Gandhi Bhavan following the All India Congress Committee announcement that Mr Reddy would continue as TPCC chief.

Responding to the celebrations, Mr Reddy said the Congress was sure to come to power and he would work to strengthen the party and be available for the cadre always.

Mr Reddy later told newspersons that he would embark on a bus yatra, covering three Assembly segments in a day. He said he would announce the party committees after Sankranti, and it will be orientated towards the elections.

There are likely to be 19 vice-presidents and three general secretaries for each district and a PCC secretary for each Assembly segment besides campaign committee and party manifesto committees.

Reiterating that some major leaders would join the Congress soon, he said whoever joins the party would do so unconditionally. The TPCC president said the Congress would form its opinion once the Centre decides to introduce the delimitation of Assembly seats.