AICC Secretary dashes off letter to Sonia protesting Nagarkurnool LS seat selection

Blames Khammam Congress leaders and AICC functionaries for sabotaging his chance

A.S. Sampath Kumar

In a first sign of trouble for the Congress in Telangana, AICC Secretary Sampath Kumar has dashed off a strong letter to former party chief Sonia Gandhi alleging that facts were suppressed while processing the candidate for Nagarkurnool parliamentary constituency SC reserved seat.

In a letter to Ms. Gandhi, he accused a section of Khammam Congress leaders and a few AICC functionaries of joining hands to suppress the facts and finalise the name of Dr. Mallu Ravi.

He pointed out that Dr. Ravi had lost the elections from the same constituency four times in the past and belongs to the Mala sub caste among SCs, whose presence in the constituency is negligible. He pointed out that out of the total 17,30,781 voters, Madiga voters constituted 3,75,532 while Mala voters were at 62,801.

Mr. Sampath, who aspired for the Nagarkurnool ticket, did not mince words to mention that Dr. Ravi has already been accommodated with a Cabinet rank in newly-formed Congress Government as the Special Representative in New Delhi.

“Just to satisfy an existing Minister’s brother in Khammam and accommodate the existing Deputy Chief Minister’s brother in Nagarkurnool, everyone has come together, intentionally ignored facts and reports and done injustice to a hardcore Congress worker,” he wrote in his letter.

He lamented that when he was busy in Screening Committee meetings of Maharashtra as an in-charge secretary, leaders had taken advantage of the situation and submitted the single name of Dr. Ravi to the CEC.

The AICC Secretary said that he has been working to strengthen the party for three decades. “I have fought my heart and soul out as an MLA in the Assembly against the BRS government, which made them terminate my membership permanently. Seventeen cases were filed against me by the then government,” he wrote.

Stating that he had travelled across the country on multiple roles as an AICC Secretary and walked the longest with Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he reasoned that considering the winnability and the sub-caste justification amongst the three reserved seats, the ticket should be given to him.

“My significance has been assassinated in front of CEC by these leaders,” he alleged and urged the high command to intervene and render justice.

When contacted, Mr. Sampath Kumar confirmed that he had expressed his anguish to the high command.