‘Sacrifice’, say MLA Seethakka and 12 others as they resign; Telangana Congress crisis deepens

Senior party leaders, led by former Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, alleged that the original party members were not getting posts of power, which were instead going to those who migrated from the TDP.

The 13 leaders — strong supporters of Telangana Congress president A Revanth Reddy — submitted their resignations to the party’s Telangana in-charge leader Manickam Tagore.

Sources said that the move of the 13 leaders was aimed at countering the allegations levelled by the anti-Revanth Reddy group.

Earlier, Revanth Reddy’s supporters decided to thwart the attempts of some leaders to allegedly weaken the Congress in the state.

I joined @INCTelangana when the Party was not in power i have not come here for any positions I will work hard for the party even though I don’t have a position, and I hope everyone works together to form people’s government in Telangana by congress. @RahulGandhi @kharge

— Danasari Seethakka (@seethakkaMLA) December 18, 2022

Because of the crisis, All India Congress Committee (AICC) leaders immediately swung into action and took damage-control measures.

According to sources, a few AICC leaders have already spoken to the senior Telangana Congress leaders and advised them not to make any remarks against their party colleagues.

The AICC secretaries might also convene a meeting with the dissident leaders on Monday to ask them to refrain from making any such remarks.

‘Sacrificing our posts’

In the resignation submitted to Tagore, the 13 leaders lamented the way the senior leaders alleged that 50 percent of the posts were filled with leaders who migrated from the TDP.

“The senior leaders also took strong exception to the posts given to us,” Seethakka said, adding that it would be inappropriate to criticise one another in the party.

She said that she and the other leaders joined the Congress to fight against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his anti-people policies.

Also read: Congress rebels rise and revolt against state chief

The people in the state were eagerly waiting to give an opportunity to Congress to form the government in the next elections, she wrote.

At this juncture, everyone in the party should fight against the TRS government in a united manner, she said.

“We should bring back the Congress, which gave a separate Telangana, to power in the state and everyone should work in that direction,” she wrote in the letter. “To work for the party’s victory, we are sacrificing our posts.”

Instead of fighting for the posts in the party, the Congress leaders must highlight the problems being faced by the people, she said.