The Congress leadership is said to have expressed its displeasure over the performance of the party in the State by-elections.
According to information, the party’s central leadership has asked the PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana to immediately send a report on the poll results. It is also learnt that the Congress High Command was angry with Botcha for not being able to ensure victory of the party in at least one of the seven constituencies. The ruling party is particularly unhappy that it lost both Station Ghanpur and Kollapur constituencies which it won in 2009. The party leadership, which has a fair idea about the ground level situation, is also unhappy that Congress could not get any benefit in Adilabad, Kamareddy and Nagar Kurnool seats where TDP votes were split and Congress came in second place in these three seats.
Congress leadership is also believed to be unhappy about its occupying the third place in the prestigious Kovuru by-election. It is learnt that the party leadership has asked particularly about the victory posted by Prasanna Kumara Reddy under the leadership of the rebel Congress leader Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. It is learnt that the Congress High Command was unable to digest its humiliating defeat at the hands of Jagan. (NSS)