Differences among the Congress leaders came to the fore on Saturday with the supporters of MLC T. Bhanu Prasada Rao and former legislator Geetla Mukund Reddy clashing during a review meeting of Peddapalli Assembly constituency in Karimnagar town.
As instructed by TPCC president Ponnala Laxmaiah, the district Congress leaders convened an in-camera review meeting of Peddapalli, Dharmapuri, Ramagundam, Manthani, Jagtial and Korutla Assembly segments at the party office on Saturday. Former Minister D. Sridhar Babu, DCC president K. Mruthyunjayam and other party contestants including Peddapalli MP candidate G. Vivekanand and Nizamabad MP candidate Madhu Yashki Goud attended the meeting.
During the review of the Peddapalli Assembly segment, MLC T. Bhanu Prasad Rao’s supporters raised slogans against the newly-appointed TPCC spokesperson C. Satyanarayana Reddy. They alleged that Mr. Satyanarayana Reddy was a traitor who, even after ditching the TRS to join Congress, supported the TRS candidate in the elections. They also alleged that the supporters of Mr. Mukunda Reddy had set ablaze the party flags following denial of party ticket to him and also found fault with the party leadership for encouraging his daughter-in-law into the party against the wishes of the cadre.
When the supporters of Mr. Satyanarayana Reddy and Mr. Mukunda Reddy tried to argue, the followers of the MLA beat up some leaders and damaged the chairs. DCC president K. Mruthyunjayam and Mr. Bhanu Prasad rushed to the meeting hall to pacify the clashing groups, but in vain.
Later, Mr. Sridhar Babu managed to calmed them down by assuring them to solve their problems. The MLC supporters left the office only to return after some time with a plan to attack Mr. Satyanarayana Reddy.
Sensing trouble, the police swung into action and tried to take Mr. Satyanarayana Reddy away from the office to a safer place.
But the Congress leaders attacked him and chased him away.
The meeting was conducted later.
