BC leaders raise pitch for PCC president post

Hyderabad: Leaders of the Backward Classes (BCs) of the Congress have upped the ante in the race for the president post of the Pradesh Congress Committee.

The meeting of the BC leaders of the Congress in Hyderabad has made their intentions clear. They wanted a BC leader as next PCC president.

They have used the death anniversary of Jyotirao Phule, who is considered as leader of the Backward Classes. They have held a meeting at a private hotel and discussed the PCC president issue.

According to Congress sources, about 100 BC leaders of the Congress have attended the meeting. They wanted a bigger share for the BCs in the affairs of the Congress.

Prominent BC leaders of Congress Ponnala Lakshmaiah and V Hanumantha Rao have participated in the meeting. Other BC leaders Ponnam Prabhakar and Madhu Yashki did not attend as they were away from the city.

As the leaders of Telangana Congress feel that change of PCC president is imminent, they have begun to demand the post to the leader of their caste.

SC leaders have been demanding the post of CLP leader to Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Damodara Raja Narasimha. BC leaders want V Hanumantha Rao and Ponnala Lakshmaiah to be made as PCC president.

The Reddy community leaders have been proposing the names of Revanth Reddy, Jeevan Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.

Few leaders of the Congress have also visited Delhi recently and held talks with AICC seniors on the issue. They have submitted their qualifications to the AICC and strongly urged the high command to consider their names.

However, party leaders said that change of PCC president may not take place until the completion of the municipal elections in the state. As the High Court has cleared the cases on them the polls may be held in next month.

Hence the high command would take up the change of PCC president in January. It may hear the pleas of leaders of the party and take a decision until then.

A senior leader of the party said that selection of leader for the PCC president post has been entrusted to party state affairs in-charge RC Khuntia and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal.

Both the AICC leaders have been speaking to several sections of Telangana Congress and studying the situation. They may make their recommendations in December.

At the same time, according to sources, there are demands for the change of in-charge of Telangana Congress RC Khuntia.

Few leaders of AICC do not want selection of new PCC president by Khuntia. In view of this, the AICC may also take decision on changing the in-charge.