Synopsis: The Telangana PCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud has failed to live up to expectations in the 10 months since his appointment as head of Telangana Congress.
A man without a solid mass base, Mahesh twice contested the Assembly elections and lost on both occasions. Appointment as PCC chief has now provided him that opportunity to elevate himself, but he seems to be frittering it away.
In the eyes of Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud is an “absentee landlord.”
The chief minister’s rather unusual and strong comment came at the TPCC’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting held in Hyderabad last Friday. AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge was present at the meeting.
For quite some time, the chief minister has been openly speaking in party meetings about the lack of cooperation from ministers, and Congress legislators getting away without facing any action even when they speak against their own government.
The issue came up at the PAC session too, when Revanth gave vent to his feelings.
“Mahesh is behaving like an absentee landlord. MLAs crossing the line are not being adequately warned. Ministers and MLAs are also failing in taking to the people the various developmental and welfare programmes being implemented by the government,” the chief minister reportedly lamented.
AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge being welcomed by PCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud and CM Revanth.
Revanth stressed that the Congress should do everything possible to retain power after the current term.
“If we lose power, the party cannot stage a comeback for at least 10-15 years. I am not even sure if I would be active in politics that long,” he reportedly said.
At this stage, Kharge reportedly intervened to mildly tick off Mahesh, advising him that the PCC should act as the bridge between the party and the government.
“It is your responsibility to ensure that such party workers who strove for the victory of Congress in elections are suitably rewarded,” the veteran Congress leader reportedly said.
He also stressed that the party should remain united and dissenting voices should be curbed without any hesitation.
A wasted opportunity
At an earlier meeting, the chief minister had distanced himself from the process of selecting names for various nominated posts.
“Let the ministers in charge of different districts and the PCC draw up the list and come to me. I don’t want to be seen as favouring any individual or group,” Revanth had said. In other words, he had firmly placed the ball in the PCC’s court.
Mahesh, according to seniors in the party, has failed to live up to expectations in the 10 months since his appointment as head of Telangana Congress.
“He has not visited all the districts even once. Not only that; even when in Hyderabad, he does not spend good time at Gandhi Bhavan,” they told South First.
“On many occasions, even Gandhi Bhavan staffers are unaware of his whereabouts.”
What is also not going down well with the central leadership is Mahesh not growing into the position he has been vested with.
The PCC chief is often spotted spending hours with partymen who rank below, such as chairmen of corporations, ostensibly for reasons other than party matters.
A man without much of a mass base, Mahesh twice contested the Assembly elections – in 1994 and 2014 – and lost on both occasions.
He chose not to contest in 2018 and 2023 despite the party offering him a ticket.
Appointment as PCC chief has now provided him that opportunity to elevate himself, but he seems to be frittering it away.