Congress rebel files papers for East seat

Warangal: Even before the Congress has announced its list of candidates for the ensuing elections to the Telangana Assembly, one of its senior leaders turned rebel and filed his nomination papers for the Warangal East constituency.

Former Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) Director Rajanala Srihari, who is also the Greater Warangal Congress Working President, said that there is no place for loyalists in the Congress. “I have been with the party for no fewer 28 years and what I got in return was a damp squib,” he said, accusing his party of selling Assembly election tickets to persons with criminal record.

He said that criminals were rewarded with tickets at the cost of genuine and committed party workers. “How the party will give clean administration if it wins the election,” he said, questioning the leadership’s decision. Forget about criminal cases, I didn’t even have a petty case against me, he said, demanding an answer from the leadership for ignoring his claim for the ticket.

Rajanala Srihari said: “When I got an opportunity to speak to All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Rahul Gandhi, I conveyed him that unless N Uttam Kumar Reddy is removed from the post of TPCC Working President, party’s position in the State will not be improved.”  

He accused Uttam of selling election tickets for money. I reveal the ‘misdeeds’ of Uttam to the media within a few days along with evidence, he said. ‘I am mobilising the loyal Congress leaders who were denied tickets by the leadership to make them contest in the elections,’ he said.

Earlier, he filed nomination papers as an Independent with the Returning Officer VP Gautham, the Commissioner of the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation. Incidentally, Rajanala Srihari is the only candidate to file papers in Warangal Urban District on the first day of the nominations.