Having organised a state-level convention last month to galvanise the party machinery, the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh is now planning to hold region-level meetings. The party would organise a convention of leaders and workers from coastal districts at Vijayawada on January 7 to discuss issues concerning the party and government and ways to strengthen the organisation. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana today held a preparatory meeting with ministers, MLAs and party leaders from Guntur, Krishna, West and East Godavari districts. Talking to reporters afterwards, Social Welfare Minister Pitani Satyanarayana, who hails from West Godavari, said thefocus of the meeting at Vijayawada would be on the party activists, who would get a chance to put forward their views. Some Congress leaders expressed concern over the power shortage in the state at today’s meeting, sources claimed. The Chief Minister assured them that steps were being taken to better the situation. Congress last month organised a massive state-wide convention which was attended by Union Minister and AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is in-charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, among others. PTI
