Hyderabad: As the grand old party in the centre is void of a president, Telangana’s Congress Loyalists Forum members yesterday appealed to Congress parliamentary party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi to be the saviour and appoint an interim president.
In a letter to Sonia, the forum leaders, comprising Marri Shashidhar Reddy, former MP V Hanumantha Rao, ex-MLA M Kodanda Reddy, among others, said party members were demoralised after Rahul’s decision to step down as the party president. As Rahul Gandhi refused to relent on his decision, a vacuum has been created in the organisational structure for too long. This gave ammunition to their political adversaries, they said in the letter.
At this critical juncture, it is time to take serious steps to rejuvenate the cadres’ emotions and strengthen the party, the forum members said in the letter.
Shashidhar Reddy, son of former Andhra Pradesh CM Marri Channa Reddy, speaking to a media agency said the process to elect a new party president should be expedited and an interim president must be chosen, as the party cadres were growing restless.
“I am interacting with people at the grassroots- level, they are asking what should we do. (where are we heading). This question should not creep into the minds of Congress cadres and workers at the lower level. Because, they are the base,” PTI quoted him as saying.
Shashidhar Reddy had earlier appealed to CWC members and AICC office-bearers to quit their posts to give a free hand to Rahul Gandhi to reorganise and revamp the party.