Ex-MLA Podem Veeraiah declares his candidature for Bhadrachalam seat amid party rift

Senior Congress leader Podem Veeraiah has openly challenged Bhadrachalam MLA Dr. Tellam Venkat Rao’s faction over internal disputes in the party. Upset with the MLA’s dominance in local committees and contracts, several senior leaders threatened to quit Congress and join BRS.

Kothagudem: Having remained silent for some time, senior Congress leader Podem Veeraiah entered the scene targetting his adversary in the party, Bhadrachalam sitting MLA Dr. Tellam Venkat Rao and his faction, bringing internal strife to the fore yet again.

Though he made veiled remarks against his rival, his tone of frustration was clear as he said some contractors have joined the Congress party and were snubbing senior members besides damaging the party in the constituency.

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What annoyed him was the recent appointment of office bearers to the Cherla mandal Congress committee in which the MLA’s faction grabbed many positions keeping aside seniors. As a result the seniors decided to quit the party en masse. Consequently, many leaders from Bhadrachalam and Cherla mandals, upset by the situation, reportedly planned to join the BRS party.

Amidst this unfolding scenario Veeraiah stepped in to intervene and held a meeting with them at Cherla. He assured them that he himself would contest for Bhadrachalam seat in the next Assembly elections on the Congress ticket and that they need not harbour any apprehensions.

It might be recalled that ever since MLA Dr. Venkat Rao joined the Congress after winning on the BRS ticket there was open hostility between Veeraiah and the MLA. The MLA’s faction monopolising all contract works, sand reaches and government schemes while completely disregarding loyal Congress workers has added fuel to the rift among them.

At the meeting Veeraiah told the senior leaders that having been associated with Congress for the past 40 years he too faced several difficulties in the past two years. As seniors, who built up the party in the district, they have patent rights over Congress.

It was wrong that some sand contractors were being encouraged while genuine leaders and cadres were being set aside. Some were carrying out malicious campaigns against senior leaders but there was no need to fear anyone. They would be taught a lesson when the time was right, he noted.

In a bid to comfort the aggrieved seniors, Veeraiah stated that he would soon take the matter to the notice of Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to address the issue.