Dissidence continues to trouble Congress in Telangana

A section of leaders have gone to the extent of threatening the party leadership saying that if their appeals were not considered, the party would lose deposits in their constituencies

Hyderabad: As the exercise for finalizing candidates to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections is underway in the State Congress, dissidence among its leaders continues to come to the fore with many opposing selection of a few candidates in different constituencies.

In fact, a section of leaders have gone to the extent of threatening the party leadership saying that if their appeals were not considered, the party would lose deposits in their constituencies.

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On Monday, posters surfaced at many locations in LB Nagar opposing TPCC Campaign Committee Chairman Madhu Yaskhi Goud’s entry into the constituency. The former MP had filed an application seeking a ticket to contest from LB Nagar constituency, though he had contested as the Nizamabad MP in the past. Party senior leader Malreddy Ranga Reddy had also filed an application from LB Nagar constituency.

Posters reading “Save LB Nagar Congress. Please say no ticket to parachutes. Go back to Nizamabad…” came up in different areas of LB Nagar.

Similarly, leaders were objecting a ticket to AICC Secretary and Disciplinary Committee Chairman G Chinna Reddy.

On Sunday, during the party Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) meeting at Gandhi Bhavan, a section of leaders reportedly raised “Chinna Reddy hatao, Congress ko Bachao” slogans. This apart, they had also distributed letters to PEC members and senior leaders in the party appealing them not to offer ticket to Chinna Reddy.

Save for Chinna Reddy, they assured support to any other candidate selected by the party. They further warned that if the State leadership did not consider their appeal, the Congress would lose deposit in Wanaparthy constituency.

This is the second time that a section of leaders were raising their voice against Chinna Reddy. Youth Congress State president Shivasena Reddy had openly expressed his differences with Chinna Reddy during the party meeting last month at Wanaparthy.

Same is the case with Jubilee Hills Constituency. Even as former CLP leader P Janardhan Reddy’s son Vishnu Vardhan Reddy filed application and is expecting ticket to contest from Jubilee Hills constituency, former Indian cricket captain Mohd. Azharuddin declared that he would be contesting from the constituency.

On Sunday, the former cricketer held a meeting with a section of leaders, who are against Vishnu Vardhan Reddy. Irked over these developments, Vishnu Vardhan Reddy lodged a complaint against the former cricketer with Telangana Congress incharge Manikrao Thakare.