The Congress Party’s August 30 meet to finanalise its candidate for Huzurabad bypolls has ended inconclusively. The party’s core team which met at the Gandhi Bhavan has decided to consult three key leaders from North Telangana – former ministers T Jeevan Reddy, D Sridhar Babu and former MP Ponnam Prabhakar – before finalising the party candidate.

The meeting held at Gandhi Bhavan was a stormy one. Several senior leaders, who attended the meet, flew into rage over the way the party affairs were being handled. They said that the party affairs should be conducted in a dignified manner and said that the way Manickam Tagore was running the party affairs was despicable. This was the first time that an open rebellion against Manickam Tagore was visible.

Manickam’s role in picking Revanth Reddy for the TPCC chief’s post is no secret and many seniors felt that he was bulldozing his way instead of achieving a consensus. Several seniors are still sullen and angry. They are keeping away from the day to day party affairs. Many are yet to join the SC Self-Respect Meets that PCC chief Revanth Reddy is planning. Some have even held separate meets in their constituencies and have not even bothered to invite Revanth Reddy.

The meeting was mainly organised to decide on the candidature of Revanth supporter and former minister Konda Surekha for Huzurabad. Key leaders from North Telangana such as Jeevan Reddy, Sridhar Babu and Ponnam Prabhakar have skipped the meet. Hence the leaders have decided to take their opinion before deciding on the candidate for Huzurabad. So, as of now the candidature of Surekha still hangs in the balance.