Demand for separate PCC for Telangana

Hyderabad: The tough fight put up by the Congress in the Medak by-poll has revived the intra-party demand for a separate Pradesh Congress Committee for Telangana.
Senior leader Palvai Goverdhan Reddy told reporters on Thursday that the high command cannot afford to ignore the sentiment for a separate Telangana if it means to ensure the party’s survival in the next Assembly election.
Reddy claimed that the results of the by-election showed that nearly 70 per cent of the voters preferred a separate state for Telangana. He said the result was a warning to Telangana Congress leaders to respect the sentiments of the people and their belief that a separate Telangana can only be achieved through the support of the Congress.
He appealed to Telangana Rashtra Samiti leader K Chandrasekhar Rao to transform himself from being a covert ‘agent’ of TDP president Chandrababu Naidu into becomeing an agent of the Telangana people.
Goverdhan Reddy pointed out that the TDP had secured 25,000 votes less than it had in the last Assembly election in Medak and the Congress 6,000 votes less. He claimed that a few ministers have admitted that the result was a defeat for the TDP and that Naidu himself was disheartened by the outcome. He accused the TDP of managing to win the election by misusing official machinery and distributing money and liquor on a large scale.