HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who has been camping in Delhi since Wednesday evening, met AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal and AICC treasurer Ajay Maken on Thursday. Sources said that they discussed the party’s organisational issues in Telangana following the appointment of B. Mahesh Kumar Goud as the new TPCC president last week. The Chief Minister reportedly spoke of constituting a new TPCC executive committee, which will function for the next three years. There was no discussion about Cabinet expansion on Thursday due to the absence of Rahul Gandhi, who is currently touring the US and is expected to return on Friday, sources added. Revanth Reddy is expected to meet AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday once Rahul Gandhi returns and discuss Cabinet expansion and filling up of nominated posts in the government. Meanwhile, in an informal chat with media persons, Revanth Reddy addressed various political issues, focusing on the Telangana High Court’s disqualification petition verdict and the role of opposition parties. On the High Court’s decision on the disqualification petitions, Revanth Reddy said, “I have not studied the Telangana High Court verdict. I can’t comment on that right now.” The Chief Minister accused BRS leaders of “playing a psychological game” on the defections issue and emphasised that “there is no separate constitution for anyone”. He dismissed reports of disproportionate representation of BRS members in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), stating, “In fact, BRS members outnumber those from Congress in the panel.” He pointed out that despite the Congress being the main opposition in 2018, the post of PAC chairman was given to AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi. “We have given opportunity to the MIM, BJP and the CPI parties from our share,” he noted, explaining the Congress’ openness to working with other parties. He also reflected on a previous personal political episode, recalling that in 2014, “when I proposed my name and the name of Errabelli Dayakar Rao from the TD in the Business Advisory Committee, I was rejected.” Regarding the current political situation, Reddy alleged that both the BJP and BRS were plotting to topple the Congress-led government in Telangana. “They said that they will overthrow the Congress government. This situation would not have arisen if the anti-defection law had been strict with no possibility of overturning,” he said, arguing that stricter anti-defection laws could have prevented instability. Reflecting on the 2014 Assembly events, he said that after Dayakar Rao switched parties, “The TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu proposed me as the leader of the TDP legislative party in the Assembly but the BRS government did not recognise it.” He questioned why BRS did not object to Owaisi becoming the PAC chairman in 2019 if Congress was technically the opposition. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that teams are currently touring Telangana to assess damage caused by rains and floods. “After the central teams submit their reports, I will meet the Central government heads,” he added.
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