In a major leadership change, the Telangana Congress has named Meenakshi Natarajan as its new in-charge, succeeding Deepa Das Munshi. The move, as declared by Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, is likely to inject fresh energy and strategic thinking into the party’s functioning in the state. Meenakshi Natarajan will take charge soon, and party sources feel her leadership may usher in important reforms to make the Congress stronger in Telangana.
Meenakshi Natarajan, an important Madhya Pradesh leader, has built her political career from scratch. After serving as an important functionary of the NSUI and the Youth Congress, she moved on to key functions within the AICC. She won the Mandsaur Assembly seat in 2009 but suffered defeats in the previous elections. Nevertheless, she remained close to Rahul Gandhi and played an important role in the party’s national strategies. Her appointment indicates that the high command is keen on strengthening the Telangana Congress with experienced leadership.
For weeks, there had been intense speculation about a Telangana Congress leadership change. Deepa Das Munshi, who was handling both Telangana and Kerala, was said to be finding it difficult to provide proper attention to Telangana’s politics. Some of the senior leaders complained about her lack of involvement, claiming she was inaccessible and even did not take their calls. These grievances reached the Congress high command, and an internal assessment was done.
Apprehensive of the likely slump in party morale and performance, Telangana Congress leaders requested the intervention of the central leadership. Considering the options well, the high command resolved to remove Deepa Das Munshi from Telangana duty and confine her duties entirely to Kerala. The appointment of Meenakshi Natarajan has been warmly welcomed by party members, who perceive her as an energetic leader with the capability to bring about the revival of the party’s role in the state.
The high command of Congress didn’t rest in Telangana. As part of a larger restructuring exercise, new in-charges have also been posted for Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Jharkhand, Manipur, and Bihar. New General Secretaries have also been posted for Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
This organizational overhaul suggests the Congress party’s determination to solidify its leadership base in states, especially ahead of the major electoral showdowns in the months to come. With Meenakshi Natarajan at the lead in Telangana, all will be waiting with bated breath to see how she negotiates the politics and guides the party towards increased electoral triumph.
