Yatra triggers ticket war In Warangal

Warangal: Whether the ongoing ‘Praja Chaitanya Yatra’ will trigger a silent revolution against the ruling TRS party, as claimed by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N Uttam Kumar Reddy, or not, but it has opened up a pandora’s box of disunity in Congress.

With the ongoing yatra of the Congress proving to be successful in the erstwhile district of Warangal, a jostle has already started for tickets among the party’s old guards and new entrants, well ahead of 2019 elections.

“Some leaders take undue liberty to express their opinion unmindful of the situation or the dais they were sharing much to the chagrins of party functionaries,” a senior leader of the party told The Hans India.

The yatra is aimed at exposing the failures of the ruling TRS government and not to show undue favour towards anyone and create clamour among the cadres, he said, referring to the open support of the two senior pros and former MPs V Hanumantha Rao (VH) and Survey Satyanarayana to Warangal DCC president Naini Rajender Reddy, who is aspiring for Warangal West Assembly ticket.

Further VH in a veiled attack against Vem Narender Reddy, who is also said to be aspiring for the Warangal West ticket, said that it was not fair to bestow party ticket to new entrants. It may be noted here that Vem Narender Reddy, who along with A Revanth Reddy and another senior leader of the district Sitakka, shifted loyalties from Telugu Desam to Congress recently.

The open suggestion left the TPCC President embarrassed on the dais. As if this was not enough, the senior pros also went on to suggest the TPCC president to announce the candidature of Naini, Donti Madhava Reddy (sitting independent MLA of Narsampet), Janga Raghava Reddy (Palakurthy) and Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy (Bhupalpally).

On the other hand, former PCC President Ponnala Lakshmaiah is conspicuous by his absence in the ongoing Chaitanya Yatra.
Warangal former mayor Errabelli Swarna and her husband Varada Rajeshwar Rao who have been with the party for decades seemingly unhappy with the party functionaries for overlooking their contribution to the party. 

Ignoring the couple’s long association with the Warangal West constituency, the party entrusted the duty of organising Yatra in Warangal East constituency where they don’t have much support. It’s speculated that the party deliberately sidelined Swarna from her (West) constituency which she lost in 2014 election.Meanwhile, party functionaries have decided to strip off the post of a city Congress leader after the completion of ongoing yatra, according to party sources.