Update On Praja Chaitanya Bus Yatra

With complaints pouring in from several senior leaders, the Congress high command has put a brake on the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s (TPCC) fourth phase of Praja Chaitanya Bus Yatra.

As the 2019 assembly elections draw nearer, the infighting in the party has become a headache for the high command.Telangana PCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has completed th-ree phases of the bus yatra and covered 38 assembly constituencies. He wants to cover all 119 assembly constituencies before the elections. But some senior leaders have complained that he is announcing the names of candidates during his bus yatra, which is against the party's principles.

Mr Reddy has announced the names of as many as 12 candidates. Senior Congress leaders said that the PCC has no power to announce party candidates as there is a procedure that has to be followed. The announcement of some names has riled others in the constituency who are also in contention. For example, Mr Reddy announced former minister G. Prasad Kum-ar’s name as candidate for the Vikarabad assembly constituency. But former minister A. Chandr-asekhar is also aspiring for a party ticket from the same constituency. Sources said that Mr Chandrasekhar has ma-de a complaint to the high command. Other names that the TPCC chief announced during his bus yatra were J. Raghava Reddy as Pala-kurthi candidate, Madh-ava Reddy for Narsam-pet, Sridhar Babu for Manthani and Jagga Reddy from Sangareddy constituency.

Some Congress leaders have complained that the bus yatra is useful for enhancing the image of the TPCC chief rather than the party.Meanwhile, All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and Te-langana Congress affairs in-charge R.C. Khuntia said the high command has directed Mr Uttam Reddy not to make any more announcements of candidates. Speaking to this newspaper, he said that not only the TPCC chief but no party leader should announce the name of any candidate. Chairman of the TPCC Bus Yatra appointed by the high command and former minister Shabbier Ali said that it is not correct to say that the high command has not given permission for the fourth phase of the bus yatra. He told this newspaper that the high command has appointed a committee on the bus yatra with him as chairman and Telangana CLP deputy leader Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and former minister Danam Nagendar as co-chairmen, and Maheswar Reddy as convenor.

He said that they are preparing guidelines for the bus yatra and will meet and chart out the fourth phase of the bus yatra. Senior Congress-men said that the committee will prepare the route of the bus yatra but it is the high command that will give the permission to conduct it. The TPCC has bought a new bus for the bus yatra. The new Bharat Benz bus which arrived at Gandhi Bhavan will be sent to Vijayawada for making internal fittings like a conference room, sofa-cum-bed, bathroom, a foldable platform that elevates through the sky roof and a speech lectern.

According to the TPCC, this will cost about Rs 1 crore.Azad to be appointed TS Congress inchargeThe Congress high command is likely to appoint former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad as Telangana Congress affairs incharge. Mr Azad had played a key role in the state bifurcation in the UPA government.AICC secretary R.C. Khuntia is currently looking after TPCC affairs. Mr Azad will be appointed as general secretary and made incharge of TPCC affairs, sources said. Mr Khuntia will likely assist Mr Azad. On Sunday, the AICC had appointed general secretary Oomen Chandy, former Kerala chief minister, as incharge of the AP Congress.