The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : PCC chief keeps seniors in good humour

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

PCC chief keeps seniors in good humour

Ravi Reddy

Works out strategy to involve them in party work and electioneering

Venkataswamy’s close followers given party ticket
Seniors are reportedly comfortable interacting with APCC chief

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president is apparently successful in wooing senior leaders of the party in Telangana region by ensuring that most of them work actively for the party in the byelections.

Meets seniors

Soon after taking over the reigns of the party for the second time in less than three years, Mr. Srinivas made it a point to call on the seniors particularly, CWC member G. Venkataswamy, Telangana Regional Development Board chairman V. Purushotham Reddy and others.

Strategy worked out

He worked out a strategy to involve them in party work and electioneering.

A significant step in this direction is naming of MLC B. Kamalakar Rao and K. Mrutyunjayam from Telangana as official spokespersons, along with two leaders already holding the post from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions.

Venkataswamy happy?

Kamalakar Rao, who was sailing with the Telangana seniors, was also made the chief coordinator of the byelections control room opened in Gandhi Bhavan.

Sources said that the seniors were also comfortable interacting with the PCC chief. Some of the staunch votaries of a separate statehood to Telangana like Mr. Venkataswamy and APSRTC chairman M. Satyanarayana Rao were mellowed down. There is also some reason for Mr. Venkataswamy to be happy -- two of his close followers V. Kumaraswamy (Medaram) and Gaddam Prasad Kumar (Vikarabad) were given the party tickets.

While doubts are still doing the rounds over the role of Mr. Purushotham Reddy, the PCC president is sparing no efforts to see that the senior Congress leader backs the party nominee in Alair constituency.

‘Same wavelength’

“Our wavelength with Mr. Srinivas on Telangana is the same. There is no problem for us when a staunch supporter of Telangana is heading the party unit in the State,” a senior Telangana Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity.

“We want to take the help of Mr. Srinivas in presenting our view point to the party high command. He is a perfect leader to check the role of the Chief Minister,” the leader remarked welcoming the appointment of Mr. Srinivas as PCC chief.

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