Is Congress Chief Kharge Set to Evaluate Telangana Government's Performance?

Hyderabad, July 3 (NationPress) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is scheduled to hold a meeting with the party’s grassroots workers in Hyderabad this Friday, where he will also assess the performance of the Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government over the past 18 months.

Kharge arrived in the state on Thursday and will be addressing around 15,000 grassroots workers at the LB Stadium as part of the 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' initiative.

Additionally, he will convene discussions with the party’s state leadership at Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress's state headquarters.

During Kharge’s visit, meetings of the party's Telangana unit and the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) are on the agenda. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, party in-charge Meenakshi Natrajan, state Congress President Mahesh Kumar Goud, and other senior leaders will be present.

Kharge is expected to review the Congress government's performance during the last 18 months.

Topics for discussion will likely include the caste census, increasing reservations for backward classes, and the implementation of Scheduled Caste categorisation.

The meeting at LB Stadium may also signal the beginning of the ruling party’s campaign for the upcoming local body elections.

Recently, the Telangana High Court instructed the government to conduct panchayat elections within three months.

The state government and the State Election Commission are anticipated to finalize the election schedule after determining reservations for backward classes.

The High Court issued these orders following petitions from former sarpanches who raised concerns over the delay in election proceedings.

They highlighted that the terms of the panchayats will expire on January 31, 2024, with elections already delayed for 18 months.

Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka, along with other ministers and state chief Goud, has been reviewing the preparations for the LB Stadium meeting.

Kharge's visit is significant against the backdrop of recent developments within the party.

Some party MLAs have publicly expressed dissatisfaction regarding their exclusion from last month’s Cabinet expansion.

Additionally, MLAs have leveled accusations against certain ministers, citing a lack of coordination between the government and the party.

Infighting within the ruling party in the united Warangal district may also be a topic of discussion during Kharge’s visit. Controversial remarks made by Fores and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha’s husband, Konda Murali, against various party leaders in Warangal have sparked tensions.

The Konda couple met with Natrajan on Thursday to report on the internal party dynamics.

They also lodged complaints against Revenue Minister P. Srinivas Reddy, the in-charge minister for Warangal district, while defending their daughter’s political aspirations to contest in the next Assembly elections from the Prakal constituency in Warangal.