Ticket row: BRS' can of worms

Bhupalpally: It's apparent that internal bickering has already started among the ruling BRS leaders for the Bhupalpally ticket. The issue came to fore at the inauguration of TBGKS building in Bhupalpally when the followers of MLA Gandra Venkataramana Reddy and former Speaker Sirikonda Madhusudhana Chary raised slogans against each other, this despite the presence of MLC K Kavitha.

It may be mentioned here that Gandra (then in Congress) defeated Chary (BRS) in the 2018 elections. Understandably, the trouble started between the two stalwart leaders after Gandra defected to the BRS. In November 2021, Chary was inducted into the Legislative Council under Governor's quota. Against this backdrop, Chary's followers were upset over the missing of their leader's name on the plaque of TBGKS building during its inauguration on Sunday. They also expressed anguish over not putting up Chary's photo along with Telangana ideologue Prof. Jayashankar, K Kavitha and Gandra inside the building. Terming it as a deliberate act by the MLA, Chary's followers raised slogans and traded charges against Gandra. Following which, Gandra's followers also retaliated, aggravating the situation. However, the timely intervention of the police avoided further embarrassment. Kavitha remained a mute spectator while all that was happening. However, she reportedly disapproved of the incident especially during the election year.

Meanwhile, Chary's followers alleged that Gandra has been trying to attract their second rung leaders into his camp. They were also unhappy with the highhandedness of the MLA's followers.

"Both Gandra and Chary have a powerful base in the constituency. Going by the latest developments, it's apparent that both the leaders would vie with each other for Bhupalpally ticket. And it's going to be a piquant situation for the leadership. While Gandra has a voice to claim the ticket as he had defected to BRS from Congress, Chary, on the other hand, is said to be a close associate of CM K Chandrasekhar Rao since the formation of the party, also has a chance to contest from Bhupalpally. Anything is possible," a BRS leader from Warangal district said.