Former Congress MP from Khammam and now AICC spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury has proved that she was right when she said a year and half ago that "Telangana agitation is nothing but a handiwork of some politically unemployed people." The same 'T-card', she now chose to play to become a Rajya Sabha member from the state. In her quest for a Rajya Sabha nomination, the 'strong' lady is rallying together all the forces from the region.

As part of ground work in attaining her objective, she got JAC leaders like K Swamy Goud, V Srinivas Goud and Devi Prasad to meet AICC incharge of AP affairs, Ghulam Nabi Azad, for a breakfast meeting at her Banjara Hills Road No 12 residence last week. According to sources, the Telangana employees' leaders assured her of their support, provided she can get the government to address three issues that are concerning the Telangana state government employees: Payment of the 42-day salary which they lost because of the Sakala Janula Samma (general strike), withdrawal of all cases against the employees and an assurance that the provisions of GO 610 will be implemented.

According to sources, by the time the TJAC leaders arrived, other Telangana-neutral leaders like deputy chief minister Damodar Raja Narasimha, ministers D Nagender, Mukesh Goud and Congress MLA from Sangareddy T Jayaprakash Reddy were already there at the breakfast meeting. The sources said that by the time Azad left, Renuka had given him the impression that she has the T leaders on her side. "From the Congress point of view, she will be a good choice as a leader for the party from the Telangana region. She is not rabid publicly for Telangana like K Keshava Rao. In fact, she has assured Azad that she will work to be a counter to TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao," said AICC sources.

Reliable sources inform that, in the present circumstances, many MPs and MLAs are said to be backing her. "The fact that Azad agreed to have a breakfast meeting at her residence in which many of us were present is testimony that the Congress is looking to rehabilitate her. Unlike many other Congress leaders, she fought the Lok Sabha election from Khammam and lost. She is the Congress spokesperson and close to 10 Janpath. So what is wrong if she wants a Rajya Sabha nomination. Azad has already assured her of it, provided she does her ground work. That is what she is doing now," said a close aide of Renuka.