GHMC debacle is taking its toll on the Congress. Congress strongman of Hyderabad and GHMC area Congress president Danam Nagender has resigned from his post. Nagender is a reluctant Congress leader. His plan to switch over to TRS had been foiled by Congress bosses who persuaded him to remain in the party by acceding to many of his demands. He was reportedly given free hand in the selection of candidates for the GHMC elections. Even though the party campaigned vigorously, it could not make any impact on the minds of Hyderabad voters. Danam said owning the responsibility for the defeat he had resigned and forwarding the letter to Digvijay Singh , AICC in charge of Telangana.
” Congress is distancing itself from poor and downtrodden. This is the reason for the unprecedented mandate the people had given in GHMC elections. TRS assurances such as 24X7 power supply, 2BHK program, six thousand-bed hospitals are good programs. we welcome them. From now onwards, we will play the role of constructive opposition. We will put pressure on the government to get all these assurance implemented,” Danam told media.
Danam said he had expected the outcome much before the counting. ” I gauzed the mood of the people. There had been an impression among the people that electing any other party would lead to friction and hamper the development. So, people, took a very wise decision to elect the same party in GHMC which is in power at the state level.,” he said.
Talking about the Congress performance, he said while chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao toured every constituency in the state, Congress was hit badly by the factional fights. Chief minister KCR and his son KTR had been successful in drawing the attention of the people to the programs they had announced for Hyderabad people, he opined. According to Danam, Congress could not decentralize the responsibilities and it affected the collective functioning of the party in GHMC elections.
” The Congress had faced similar rout in 1983 as well when TDP swept the polls. We did not lose heart and worked to revive the party. Now also, we wish Hyderabad become a global city. We will extend cooperation to the government in this direction and remind the party in power wheneve it strays from the path,” Danam said
