First list triggers revolt in Congress

Hyderabad: Within hours after the Congress announced the first list of 55 candidates, revolt started brewing in the party. The ticket aspirants who failed to get tickets threatened to quit the party and work against it in the ensuing elections.

At Kollapur, supporters of Ch Jagadishwar Rao, who was aspiring for the Kollapur ticket, went on a rampage and vandalised the party office. They tore the flexis and pulled down Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Chief A Revanth Reddy’s hoarding. Jagadishwar Rao was denied the ticket, which was instead given to Jupally Krishna Rao, who had joined the party recently after being expelled from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The party minority cell extended its support to Jagadishwar Rao and raised slogans against the party leadership.

At Gandhi Bhavan, the party headquarters in the State, former MLA Mallu Ravi’s press meet was blocked by Congress Minority Cell leaders and workers. They raised anti-party slogans alleging that tickets for constituencies in the Old City were given to people who were not related to the constituencies. Mallu Ravi was forced to leave Gandhi Bhavan stating that it was not his fault. In Medchal, supporters of Harivardhan Reddy, who was denied a ticket, staged a dharna and entered a heated argument with supporters of ThottakuraJangaiah Yadav, whose son Vajresh Yadav was given the ticket.

In Uppal, both RagidiLaxma Reddy and SingireddySomashekhar Reddy, senior leaders who were expecting tickets, resigned from the party, after the ticket was given to M Parameshwar Reddy. Protesting the party’s decision, Somashekhar Reddy threatened that he would ensure Revanth Reddy’s defeat in Kodangal.

Another ticket aspirant from Medchal, SingireddyHarivardhan Reddy said the TPCC President had cheated after promising him a ticket. Earlier in the day, posters surfaced in different places against Revanth Reddy, calling him “Ratentha Reddy” (What-is-the-rate Reddy). In one such poster, it was alleged that Revanth Reddy received Rs 58 crore from some “58 members”.