Congress party was engulfed in dissidence with the leaders who were denied tickets taking to the streets and giving out warnings that they would contest as rebels hurting the chances of the party’s official candidates.
Enraged over denial of ticket, former MLA Bikshapathi Yadav who is an aspirant for party ticket from Serilingampally, Kyama Mallesh, Ranga Reddy district unit president seeking the Ibrahimpatnam seat, and Jangamaiah Yadav, an aspirant from Medchal constituency, held a press conference here on Thursday and warned that ignoring the Backward Classes would prove costly to the party and that they cannot be denied ticket on the grounds of party selecting ‘winnable’ candidates.
The aspirants alleged that AICC president Rahul Gandhi was being misled by the local leadership.
“We don’t want Congress to turn into a party of Reddys and the BCs not being given proper representation,” they warned.
‘Money demanded’
Mr. Kyama Mallesh in fact claimed that he has a audio recording of a person seeking ₹3 crore on behalf of Screening Committee chairman Bhakatacharan Das.
However, a senior leader in the Congress rubbished the allegations and claimed the audio was misleading as a third person unconnected to Mr. Das was trying lure the aspirants promising them party ticket and demanding money for facilitating it.
Karthik Reddy resigns
Karthik Reddy, son of former Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy, seeking ticket from the Rajendranagar constituency resigned from the party after the seat was allotted to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
His supporters tore the banners at the party office and announced resignations from the party enmasse. Mr. Reddy also announced his intentions to contest as a rebel.
The party has already announced the candidature of his mother from Maheshwaram constituency. Mr. Karthik Reddy said several leaders, including PCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy who secured a seat for his wife, had more than one member of the family in the fray and asked why he should be denied the seat.
‘Few women’
The protests reached New Delhi apart from Hyderabad and districts.
In New Delhi former GHMC Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy created a flutter staging dharna in front of AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s residence for over three hours alleging that the local leaders have denied her a chance despite she being the number one in the party surveys, and wanted him to do justice to women.
The party has failed to accommodate even a single woman in the 24 constituencies in the twin cities, she alleged. “What kind of signal they are sending to women serving the party for nearly three decades,” she said.
Later, she was arrested along with her husband and PCC secretary Banda Chandra Reddy and taken to Tughlak Road police station. The duo refused to leave the police station till senior leadership visited them with an assurance.
