Factionalism in Andhra PCC mars revamp effort

Sanjiv Sinha

New Delhi, May 27:Infighting in Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) is hampering the reorganisation of Congress party machinery at state-level, despite party chief Sonia Gandhi’s directive to AICC general secretaries to expedite the task.

If Andhra Pradesh PCC list is any indication, putting out PCC and District Congress Committees (DCCs) lists in the states is likely to revive factional rivalry .
Rival units in the state have been lobbying furiously for their supporters and the accusations of favouritism are flying thick and fast.

So much so that the tentative list prepared by the state PCC chief Satyatnarayana Rao has reportedly been put on ‘‘temporary hold’’ by Ambika Soni, the AICC general secretary in charge of Andhra. Rao had camped in New Delhi for much of this week hoping his list would be finalised, only to return empty-handed to Hyderabad on Thursday.

According to party sources here, Rao’s list came under a cloud after rival factions led by senior leader K. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy and CLP leader Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy complained to the party’s central leadership of ‘‘rigging’’ and exclusion of their supporters.

There were also allegations that individuals with ‘‘criminal and dubious’’ background had been recommended as PCC general secretaries and DCC presidents at Rao’s behest. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy had reportedly carried these complaints to Sonia herself.

Adding to the high command’s woes is the looming spectre of dissidence if the Andhra Congress’ ‘‘stalwart leaders’’ are not accommodated. Besides Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy and Rajashekhar Reddy, there is a string of party seniors like N. Janardhan Reddy, P. Shivshankar and G. Venkataswamy.

Rao, appointed last year as the PCC chief by Sonia, apparently has been unable to carry all the factions with him; not just because he is considered a Congress (Tiwari) man but also because his ‘‘off the cuff’’ remarks have alienated a section of party members.