Ponnala for Delhi to discuss list, Sonia visit

Hyderabad: The Congress high command has decided to speed up the process of finalisation of poll alliances in Telangana and also see that the party leaders get into action and take up the campaign on a large-scale.

TDPCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Shabbir Ali left for New Delhi and will be meeting the party leadership including party president Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh.

According to sources, the party high command feels that the TPCC should now get into action and all the leaders should sink their differences and work for the victory of the party.

The possibility of deciding the date for the visit of Sonia Gandhi to Hyderabad is also likely to be decided during the meeting Ponnala will have with the party leadership. Indications are that Sonia Gandhi might visit Hyderabad after March 7.

It is learnt former PCC president D Srinivas who met Sonia Gandhi on Monday told her that the State unit was yet to work out poll strategies and kick-start the campaign.

He was understood to have told the high command that following the failure of any tie-up with TRS, the party had not been vocal enough in rebutting the allegations and comments by TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao.

He also reportedly told her that better unity and coordination among the leaders was necessary to consolidate the gains of having granted statehood to Telangana.

In view of this, Ponnala on Tuesday held parleys with D Srinivas and K Jana Reddy before leaving for New Delhi.

It may be mentioned here that there has been no meeting of the TPCC leaders to discuss the poll strategy in the last fortnight.