Infighting in Congress spills out as traditional rivals lock horns in Narayankhed

Zaheerabad MP Suresh Shetkar and Narayankhed MLA Patlolla Sanjeeva Reddy are busy lobbying to get nominated posts and election opportunities for their respective followers

Sangareddy: The rift between Zaheerabad Congress MP Suresh Shetkar and Narayankhed MLA Patlolla Sanjeeva Reddy again came to the fore as the party leadership prepares to appoint nominated posts in the constituency. Since elections for local bodies were also approaching, Shetkar and Reddy, both hailing from Narayankhed, have been trying to ensure that their followers get opportunities in Sarpanch, MPTC, ZPTC elections as well as in the Narayankhed municipality elections. The rivalry between these two Congress leaders began when Sanjeeva Reddy’s father Kista Reddy was alive.

Lack of unity between these two traditional Congress families cost the party many elections during the past decade. However, Shetkar and Reddy joined hands ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections and emerged victorious in both Narayankhed Assembly and Zaheerabad Lok Sabha elections. The party cadre are worried now as both the camps were moving separately again.

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Kista Reddy had started his political career as a follower of Shivarao Shetkar, father of Suresh Shetkar. After winning two elections in 1989 and 1999 contesting thrice in a row, Kista Reddy lost the opportunity to contest in 2004 as Suresh Shetkar, who won as MLA for the first time, entered politics.

However, Kista Reddy again got the B-form in 2009 and in 2014 and emerged victorious for the fourth time. The demise of Kista Reddy in 2015 again fuelled differences between the two families. Though the high command gave a seat to Sanjeeva Reddy in the 2016 by-elections, he lost the election, allegedly due to lack of support from Shetkar. The party leadership fielded Shetkar in 2018 when Sanjeeva Reddy quit and contested as a BJP candidate. The election was a cakewalk for BRS candidate Mahareddy Bhupal Reddy as the traditional Congress vote share was divided between Sanjeeva Reddy and Shetkar.

The Congress cadre now fear as both leaders are again lobbying to get nominated posts and election opportunities for their followers. They worry that the party would lose its grip over the constituency if they continue to fight within themselves.