Exodus of leaders to BRS after announcement of its first list of candidates haunts Congress

HYDERABAD: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sadly for the Congress, each and every word of the proverb haunts the party across the country every time ahead of elections. The Telangana Congress is no exception to this apathy.

Everything was hunky dory until the first list of 55 Congress candidates was announced for the poll-bound State on October 15, 2023. As if on cue, and what has been plaguing the Congress for years together, at least 14 senior leaders including the former State party chief have quit the party in the last few days.

Some of the prominent names includes ex-TPCC chief and former Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Gadwal DCC president Patel Prabhakar Reddy, Medak DCC president Kanta Reddy Tirupathi Reddy, Medchal-Malkajigiri DCC president Nandikanti Sridhar, senior leaders Nagam Janardan Reddy from Nagarkurnool, Kuruva Vijaya Kumar from Gadwal among a host of other cadres and grassroot workers.

While it is not uncommon for disgruntled leaders to quit a party after not receiving nominations, it is the reason stated by the above lot that is garnering eyeballs.

Many of the leaders are upset that despite working hard for the party for several years, recent defectors to the party were awarded MLA tickets. Surprisingly, all the leaders who quit the party this week blamed Revanth Reddy for selling MLA tickets in return for personal favours.

In fact, Kuruva Vijay Kumar had alleged that State party president A Revanth Reddy has sold the Gadwal Assembly ticket to a non-Congress leader who paid of a bribe of Rs 10 crore and 5 acres of land.

Patel Prabhakar Reddy had said it had become impossible to stay in the Congress as the party’s leadership, which was selling MLA tickets, could no longer be trusted. "We have lost faith in that party and decided that as we stand for development of the State, we should join the BRS led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao," he said after being welcomed into the BRS.

The party is also facing backlash from the leaders of Backward Castes (BCs), who complained of being ignored in the allotment of seats despite being promised a big chunk earlier. Senior Congress leader and former IT minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah who quit the party in fact accused that "When a group of 50 BC leaders from Telangana went to Delhi to request prioritisation for BCs in the forthcoming polls, they were denied even a meeting with the AICC leaders. This is an embarrassment for Telangana State that prides itself on self-respect. That’s why I cannot continue in the party and want to disassociate from it.”

The Congress party is obviously surprised that there is dissent right after its very first list of candidates was announced, seats which were considered least contentious. Given the magnitude of dissent, the Congress is now bracing for more adverse impacts that could follow its next list of candidates for contentious seats.