Telangana Congress now focus on Lok Sabha elections

Hyderabad, Dec  (IANS) Buoyed by the victory in the recent Assembly elections in Telangana, the Congress has now started focussing on Lok Sabha elections due to be held in next few months.

With the completion of the process of government formation, the state party unit began preparing a strategy to repeat the performance in coming polls.

Its Political Affairs Committee on Monday analysed the party’s performance in Assembly elections and discussed the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls.

The meeting chaired by Congress General Secretary in-charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakre and attended by state unit Pesident and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, appointed in-charges for all 17 Lok Sabha seats.

The leaders who played a key role in the party’s victory in Assembly elections were entrusted with the new task.

The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ministers have been appointed in-charges for the constituencies.

Revanth Reddy will be in-charge for Chevella and Mahabubnagar constituencies. Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka has been given the responsibility of Secunderabad and Hyderabad constituencies.

Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy will look after Mahabubabad and Khammam constituencies. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was elected from Nalgonda Lok Sabha seat in 2019 elections, was made in-charge for the same constituency.

Similarly, another minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy was assigned Bhongir, a seat which he won in the previous election.

Minister Jupally Krishna Rao is in-charge for Nagarkurnool, Konda Surekha for Warangal, Seethakka for Adilabad, D. Sridharbabu for Peddapalli, Ponnam Prabhakar for Karimnagar, D. Rajanarasimha for Medak, and Tummala Nageswara Rao for Malkajgiri.

MLA P. Sudershan Reddy is in-charge for Zahirabad while MLC Jeevan Reddy will look after Nizamabad.

The Congress leadership has also appointed observers for all Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. The PAC focussed on strengths and weaknesses in various constituencies based on the results of Assembly elections. As the party failed to win a single Assembly seat falling in three Lok Sabha constituencies in and around Hyderabad, it was decided to make special efforts to strengthen the party presence.

In the 2019 elections, Congress had bagged three out of 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Revanth Reddy, Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy were elected for Lok Sabha and all the three were elected in recent Assembly polls.

The meeting also discussed filling vacancies in the Legislative Council. A couple of senior leaders who could not get elected in Assembly polls are likely to be nominated to the Council to induct them in the Cabinet.

The PAC also discussed the appointments to nominated posts like Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons of various corporations. Soon after coming to power, the Congress removed more than 50 Chairpersons of various government bodies.