Telangana: Congress leaders clash during rally

Setting aside the party leader’s warning, followers of the former MP Ponnam Prabhakar and former MLA Aligireddy Praveen Reddy clashed with each other in Husnabad in the presence of AICC leader Mohan Prakash.

Karimnagar: Within a few hours of AICC leader Sonia Gandhi’s warning against exposing internal bickerings before the media, Husnabad congress workers exhibited their natural attitude. While participating in CWC meeting held in Hyderabad on September 16, Sonia Gandhi had advised the party leaders not to air differences among them before the media openly as it would damage the party’s image.

Setting aside the party leader’s warning, followers of the former MP Ponnam Prabhakar and former MLA Aligireddy Praveen Reddy clashed with each other in Husnabad in the presence of AICC leader Mohan Prakash. In order to explain the public about party’s six guarantees announced at Thukkuguda meeting on September 17, constituency leaders on Monday organized a rally in Husnabad town wherein the followers of Prabhakar and Praveen Reddy participated in a big way.

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The disputes arose over the playing of a song in the campaign vehicle. Instead of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the songs of Prabhakar were played. Trouble erupted when Praveeen Reddy’s followers objected to it. Soon both groups began shouting against each other and jostling took place as arguments turned serious. Two party workers sustained injuries in the clash. In an interesting development, while second rung leaders were quarreling with each other, main leaders continued their rally. Later, they attended the public meeting.

Injured congress activists, who decided to lodge complaints with the police, withdrew their plans after their leaders intervened. Though there was internal bickerings among the constituency leaders and workers in the past too, they were exposed openly for the first time with the entry of Prabhakar, who has decided to contest from the Husnabad assembly constituency.

Prabhakar, who was elected as MP from Karimnagar parliament constituency in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, lost the election in 2014. In the 2018 assembly elections, he contested from the Karimnagar Assembly segment and remained at the third position. He again contested from the Karimnagar parliament elections in the year 2019, but was relegated to the third position.

After facing several defeats, Prabhakar had decided to choose a safe place to contest the elections and opted for the Husnabad assembly segment. Besides applying for the party ticket, he started campaigning in the segment.