The Telangana Congress in one voice expressed their support for AICC president Rahul Gandhi and requested him to withdraw his resignation submitted taking responsibility for the party’s poor show in the Lok Sabha elections.
Former Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao and PCC general secretary Bollu Kishan staged a one day deeksha at Gandhi Bhavan demanding that Mr. Gandhi continue as AICC president.
TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who offered lemon juice to them to end the day-long fast, said Mr. Gandhi campaigned with vigour in the entire country but Prime Minister Narendra Modi raked up the national sentiment to sway the voters. Mr. Reddy said the Congress party and the country needs Mr. Gandhi and he should continue to lead the party. Mr. Hanmantha Rao said there was no need for Mr. Gandhi to take moral responsibility and reminded that Ms. Indira Gandhi lost power in 1977 but was voted back in 1980. He also blamed the ‘soul’ of a late leader for the party’s debacle and alleged that he was controlling Telangana Congress sitting in New Delhi. “He is not allowing any leader to meet Mr. Gandhi and such people are misleading him,” he alleged.
Later in the day, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy held a meeting with senior leaders and DCC presidents in view of the results of the local bodies to be announced on June 4 and elections of MPP and ZP chairmen on June 7 and 8. He asked them to conduct meetings at the district headquarters to finalise the names of MPP candidates.