Mutiny blows up in Congress as Prem Sagar Rao too stakes claim to Cabinet berth

Prem Sagar Rao in fact laced his demand with a few threats as well, stating that he would not tolerate it if he was ignored during the Cabinet expansion

Adilabad: The Congress is witnessing serious internal strife with MLAs openly challenging the party leadership in their quest for a ministerial berth. A day after Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy made his views clear, Mancherial MLA Prem Sagar Rao came out on Monday demanding a berth.

Prem Sagar Rao in fact laced his demand with a few threats as well, stating that he would not tolerate it if he was ignored during the Cabinet expansion. Speaking at a programme in Mancherial on Monday, the Mancherial MLA stressed that if any injustice was meted out to him, it would be considered as injustice to Adivasis and erstwhile Adilabad.

---

Interestingly, he made these comments in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu on the stage.

“I struggled hard to save the party in Adilabad for 10 years and is this the recognition and respect I will be getting in return?” Prem Sagar Rao asked.

The Mancherial MLA also reminded that he had organized a grand public meeting at Indravelly and infused new energy into the Congress, which was on its last legs in the district at that time.

“Interestingly, a few MLAs, who switched loyalties to other parties in the past, are also demanding a berth in the cabinet,” Prem Sagar Rao said, taking a dig at the Munugode MLA.

Sensing internal trouble, the Congress high command had delayed the Cabinet expansion exercise. However, the strategy seems to be backfiring with the ugly internal differences now spilling out on public platforms.