Chaos at Congress meeting

The meeting of the Congress in Parkal constituency attended by Ministers -- Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Basawaraju Saraiah -- and MP S. Rajaiah ended in utter chaos and resulted in arrest of cadre here on Sunday.

The groupism came to the fore at the meeting held to review the post by-election scenario where the party lost its deposit. Around 200 party workers gathered for the meeting. A huge banner was put up with the big portraits of the Ministers and that of government Chief Whip and Bhupalpalli MLA G. V. Ramana Reddy.

However, the Chief Whip’s supporters raised objection to the big portraits, accusing the Ministers of belittling their leader.

Scores of party workers shouted slogans accusing the Ministers of ‘selling away ticket’ and ‘colluding with YSR Congress Party’ in the by-election’. They further alleged that the Ministers forced Mr. Samma Rao, who was the Telugu Desam leader, on the party and leaders at the last minute.

Supporters of Mr. Ramana Reddy went berserk at the meeting and tossed the plastic chairs. The police had to enter the scene and they rounded up over 30 party works. They shifted them to the police station only to be released after the meeting was over. Senior leader and aspirant in the just concluded by-election Gandra Jyothi tried to intervene but in vain.

Some of the workers staged a ‘rasta roko’ on the Warangal-Parkal road for about an hour protesting the arrest of their fellow party workers.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ramana Reddy arrived at the meeting and pacified the irate cadres. He said it was not the culture of the party cadre to disturb the review meetings.