Maharashtra ex-minister Manikrao Govindrao Thakre made Telangana Congress in charge

HYDERABAD: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday appointed senior leader and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee former president Manikrao Govindrao Thakre (68) as AICC in charge of Telangana. He replaces incumbent Manickam Tagore, who has been made AICC in charge for Goa.Thakre is a senior party leader and a Gandhi family loyalist. Sources said the party high command zeroed in on Thakre as he has served as PCC president of Maharashtra, has been a minister for over two decades and can take along with him the seniors and juniors in the party, which is getting ready to fight the assembly elections in Telangana. Unlike Tagore who was relatively a junior to several seniors in Telangana Congress, Thakre is seen as some one who can command even the seniors, sources said. His appointment as Telangana in charge came nearly two weeks after AICC leader and Madhya Pradesh former chief minister Digvijaya Singh submitted his report to Kharge on the infighting in Telangana Congress.The crucial appointment comes in the backdrop of the party leadership's serious efforts to resolve the infighting in Telangana Congress. Though top leaders and seniors lodged complaints against TPCC president A Revanth Reddy, Tagore and party's election strategist Sunil Kanugolu, only Tagore has been replaced. Revanth and Kanugolu will continue in their respective posts.Observers said Thakre has his task cut out. Apart from setting the house in order in Telangana Congress and keeping the flock together, he will have to stop the exodus of seniors to BJP and other parties and constitute a team of seniors, migrants and all sections of leaders to work together as the party aims to win the 2023 assembly elections after a series of poll reverses in Telangana.Digvijaya came to Telangana on a fire-fighting mission after senior leaders raised a banner of revolt against Revanth, Tagore, Kanugolu and turncoats, accusing them of trying to capture the party and giving them posts on various PCC committees while ignoring seniors and loyalists. Seniors, in their complaints to Digvijaya, even accused Tagore of acting as an agent of Revanth and not taking their concerns to the notice of the high command.For that matter, the senior leaders have never been happy ever since 53-year-old Revanth was made TPCC chief in June 2021. Revanth had joined the party in November 2017 after quitting the Telugu Desam Party.