Congress Member of Parliament from Bhongir Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Tuesday courted controversy after he predicted a hung Assembly after the year-end elections and went on record that the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) will have to join hands to form the next government.
“No party is going to cross the 50 seat mark in next Assembly election in Telangana,” the senior Congress leader said adding that the Congress and the BRS would have to join hands as there was no other option for both the parties as they could not join hands with the BJP, which they are opposing tooth and nail.
The Congress MP predicted that the party may get 40 to 50 Assembly seats provided all the party senior leaders work hard and unitedly. Noting that both the BJP and the BRS are cash rich parties and there was hardly four months left (for elections), he said that he had suggested to Mr. Rahul Gandhi to announce candidates for 60 to 70 seats so that they can commence work in their respective constituencies.
Mr. Komatireddy has also stated that he would start his padayatra in the first week of March after getting permission from the party high command. The remarks came a few days after Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy launched the ‘Hath Se Hath Jodo Yatra’ which has been drawing good crowds and response from the people
No sooner than he made his remarks in New Delhi, State Congress leaders launched a scathing attack on the MP, who has been making caustic remarks against the party and its leadership right from the day his brother and the then Congress MLA, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, quit the party and contested on BJP ticket in Munugode Assembly bypoll.
Mr. Venkat Reddy’s comments were enough for the State Congress leaders to demand stern action against him. Responding to his comments, party senior vice president Mallu Ravi said that these comments are in favour of the BJP and harm the interests of the Congress party. He has also recalled the clarity given by party leader Rahul Gandhi that there would not be any alliance with the BRS. He said that he would write to party high command to take action against Mr. Venkat Reddy.
TPCC vice president Chamala Kiran Kumar and TPCC working president Mahesh Kumar Goud also condemned the comments made by Mr. Venkat Reddy stating that only the Congress can defeat the BRS. They said that it was not right on the part of party MP to speak like this when party cadre is working hard to make ‘Hath Se Hath Jodo Yatra’ a grand success.
Hours after the heat generated by his remarks, Mr. Venkat Reddy clarified that his observations had been distorted. “I never said the Congress and the BRS will have alliance or will sail together after the elections,” he said, adding that he had also stuck to the line taken by former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi.
AICC in charge of Telangana Manik Rao Thakre too reacted saying that he had not seen the remarks but added that what Rahul Gandhi had said in the recent Warangal public meeting stands good for the party.
