TPCC chief Goud credits welfare delivery, caste survey for Congress momentum

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud has completed two years in the post, and he is placing his party's governance record at the centre of its political case as it prepares for future electoral contests in the State.

In an interaction, Goud said the Congress does not see much room for the BJP to grow in Telangana, pointing to the State's social fabric and political history, which he said have traditionally rejected communal politics. On the BRS, he said its decade in power had been exposed through allegations of corruption, land-related issues and governance failures that people have not forgotten.

He said the party's focus remains on governance and on delivering promises, and that welfare and development programmes rolled out over the past two-and-a-half years would reinforce public confidence. He also recalled the Congress winning more than 63 seats in the last Assembly election and expressed confidence of improving on that performance.

Reflecting on his tenure, Goud said the coordination between him, as working president, and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, then the PCC chief, had been key to bringing the party to power. After taking charge as PCC president in September 2024, he said his priority has been strengthening the organisation at every level.

Among the party's main achievements, he listed the caste survey, describing it as the fulfilment of a long-standing demand of Rahul Gandhi and one carried out in a scientific manner. Its findings were tabled in the Assembly and sent to the Centre, where they are pending. He also cited two by-election wins and strong showings in local body polls, where the party secured 75-80% of the posts, and said the Telangana unit is now counted among the most active in the country. A 'Connect Centre' at Gandhi Bhavan, he added, allows the party to reach more than 50 lakh workers at once across the State.

On the government's performance nearly three years in, Goud said education, healthcare and welfare have been its priorities. He pointed to schemes such as free fine-quality rice, Indiramma housing, new ration cards, enhanced assistance under Rythu Bharosa and 200 units of free electricity as having benefited large sections of the population. He claimed the Congress has moved faster than the BRS on welfare and development, noting that while around 60,000 government jobs were filled during the BRS's ten-year rule, the present government has provided more than 80,000 jobs within two years. Investment commitments secured through global summits and international outreach, he said, are expected to generate employment.

Responding to the perception that the pace of promised change has been slow, Goud said most commitments have either been fulfilled or are under implementation. He cited an inherited debt burden exceeding ₹8 lakh crore, requiring substantial monthly outgo towards repayments and interest, and said that despite these constraints nearly 80% of promises have been implemented. In urban governance, he mentioned the Fourth City project as a long-term initiative aimed at making Hyderabad a globally competitive urban centre.

Asked whether the Konda Surekha episode had affected the party, Goud described her as a senior leader from the Backward Classes community who has won several elections. He said the Congress is a democratic party that encourages freedom of expression, but that action is taken when certain lines are crossed, as happened in this case.

On the anxiety surrounding Section 22A lands, he said the issue dates back nearly two decades and that no new restrictions have been imposed, with the present situation largely flowing from legal and judicial directions. The Revenue Minister has already explained the matter in the Assembly, he said, adding that he has asked the Chief Minister and Cabinet colleagues to evolve a mechanism ensuring genuine landowners and eligible pattadars are not adversely affected. The government, he said, is committed to providing justice to those with legitimate claims.

To the perception that ministers and party leaders often stay silent until the Chief Minister responds to Opposition criticism, Goud said it may be valid to some extent. He noted that the PCC has responded on many occasions to allegations and misinformation, that ministers address issues concerning their portfolios, and that the Chief Minister, as head of the government, has overall authority and therefore often takes the lead.