Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy’s efforts to get MLC seat for followers fail

He is said to have lobbied for Banoth Vijayabai of Wyra and Telangana State Irrigation Development Corporation Chairman Muvva Vijay Babu

Khammam: As the Congress high command apparently snubbed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in the selection of MLA quota MLC candidates, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy too faced a similar embarrassment.

The Minister is said to have lobbied for an MLC seat for his followers Banoth Vijayabai of Wyra and Telangana State Irrigation Development Corporation Chairman Muvva Vijay Babu. He reportedly approached Congress leaders in New Delhi seeking to accommodate any one of them under the MLA quota MLC seat.

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It might be noted that Vijayabai joined Congress in June 2023 from the CPI, prior to the Assembly elections, expecting Wyra (ST) Assembly ticket and Srinivas Reddy was said to have given an assurance to ensure the Congress ticket to her. But, in turn of events, a follower of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Maloth Ramdas was given the ticket in the last Assembly elections and he won the seat. At that time, the party high command reportedly assured Vijayabai an MLC seat.

With the notification to the MLA quota MLC elections, Srinivas Reddy, who is said to be a close aide of the Chief Minister, intensified his efforts to accommodate Vijayabai or Vijay Babu. But the party high command made its choice clear with actor-turned politician Vijayashanthi, Addanki Dayakar and Shankar Naik being announced as candidates.

It is rumoured that the two other ministers in the district – Bhatti Vikramarka and Thummala Nageswara Rao – played a role in preventing Srinivas Reddy’s followers getting the MLC seat as they were worried over the latter’s growing influence in both the district and State-level affairs in the party.