Revolt in Congress again: Jeevan Reddy questions top party positions for turncoats

Expressing strong objections to the state leadership's encouragement of defections, the MLC wrote a letter to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Speaking to the media later on Thursday, he stated that turncoat MLAs and leaders were dominating party affairs and making decisions in various constituencies.

Hyderabad: Continuing his tirade against the State leadership for encouraging political defections, Congress MLC Jeevan Reddy asked how can turncoats, including former Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, could be given top positions at the cost of ignoring the services of leaders who were loyal to the Congress.

Taking serious objections over the State leadership encouraging defections, the MLC wrote a letter to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Addressing media persons later here on Thursday, he said the turncoats MLAs and leaders were dominating party affairs and calling the shots in different constituencies.

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“At this juncture, what is our position in the party?” he asked, also alleging that former Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy was the leader of the turncoats. He had held a meeting with turncoat MLAs and leaders and directed them to dominate the Congress leaders in the constituencies, he alleged, stating that the high command was against defections into the party. The Congress had got a clear majority in the Assembly and did not need support of any turncoats, he said.
“Will the Congress government not survive without support of turncoat MLAs? Is this the democratic governance Rahul Gandhi promised?” Jeevan Reddy asked.

Interestingly, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud has been claiming that defections into the party were as per the high command’s instructions. But Jeevan Reddy took strong objection to the defections into the party reminding that it was the Congress which was fighting against defections by elected public representatives. Defections were not only against the party’s policy but also creating lot of unrest among loyal leaders. Still, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy openly welcomed BRS MLA Dr Sanjay into the party.
“When his entry was opposed by the cadre in Jagtial, I was personally summoned to New Delhi after Ministers Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and D Sridhar Babu tried to pacify me. Even the party high command wanted me to be patient. Now, I appeal to Mallikarjun Kharge to guide my future course of action,” Jeevan Reedy said.