MLA ticket denial: Congress office ransacked, posters torn as dissidents express anger

HYDERABAD: Within minutes of the Telangana Congress announcing its first list of 55 candidates for the Telangana Assembly elections on Sunday, dissidents raised a banner of revolt.

In Kollapur, the Congress office was ransacked and flexies, cutouts and party flags were set ablaze by the followers of Chintalapalli Jagadeeshwar Rao after the grand old party nominated Jupally Krishna Rao from the constituency. Jupally had migrated from the BRS just couple of months ago. Jagadeeshwar Rao's followers alleged that TPCC president Revanth Reddy was selling party tickets. They were angry that the seat was given to a newcomer and not to Jagadeeshwar who had worked hard for the party for the last five years.

Similarly, in another setback to Congress in Uppal, Ragidi Lakshma Reddy resigned from the party after Mandumula Parameshwar Reddy was nominated for the seat. Both Parameshwar Reddy and Lakshma Reddy were fiercely competing to secure the Congress ticket from Uppal and even engaged in brawls frequently.

The Congress had also denied tickets to its senior leaders including former ministers Dr J Geetha Reddy from Zaheerabad (SC) and Nagam Janardhan Reddy from Nagarkurnool.

Resentment continues to simmer in the Congress with the announcement of tickets. While minorities created a scene by protesting in front of Gandhi Bhavan. The agitators alleged that tickets were given to candidates not related to the Congress Party.

Uppal Corporator Singireddi Somasekhar Reddy resigned from the party levelling serious corruption charges against TPCC president Revanth Reddy. "Despite all the pre-poll surveys indicating my victory in the constituency, Revanth Reddy denied a ticket for me. The TPCC president is ruining the party by giving tickets to those who shifted their loyalties to the Congress from other parties," he alleged.

Somasekhar Reddy also said that he would launch a campaign with a slogan 'Revanth Reddy Hatao Congress Bachavo' in all the constituencies and defeat him in his constituency. "I am feeling shy to visit Uppal and have been staying in New Delhi for a fortnight. I will join any politicial party which will benefit my constituency people," he said,