ADILABAD: Congress leaders in the erstwhile Adilabad district are divided into two groups, with the one side supporting TPCC president Revanth Reddy and the other comprising those who ‘revolted’ against Reddy.
The party cadre is confused and disappointed with the internal rift.
Till recently, the party cadre and second-rung leaders were confident that the party would return to power by reaping the electoral benefits of the anti-incumbency mood. The internal bickering seems set to dash such hopes.
AICC programme implementation committee chairman and former MLA Aleti Maheshwar Reddy of Nirmal is playing a key role in the ‘Save Congress’ group comprising Batti Vikramarka, Madhu Yashki Goud, Damodhar Rajanarasimha and Jagga Reddy, all of them set against Uttam Kumar.
Maheshwar Reddy has raised the banner of revolt against the TPCC president after he found his name was missing in the TPCC political affairs committee.
On the other hand, senior Congress leader Naresh Jadhav, who contested the LS polls in 2014 as a Congress nominee and Vedma Bojju, who was made TPCC state general secretary in the new line-up, extended their support to Revanth Reddy. The two criticised the senior leaders airing their problems before the media instead of resolving these inside the party.
These two leaders criticised Aleti Maheshwar Reddy for his game of double standards and his feudal attitude and his contempt for leaders from the marginalized sections.
Naresh Jadhav alleged that Uttam ruined the party for his selfish political gains and recalled how these he and Maheshwar Reddy gave the party MP ticket to Ramesh Rathod in the 2019 elections though he was defeated in MLA elections; and also how the two extended financial support to independent candidate Anil Jadhav against the party candidate Soyam Bapu Rao in Boath assembly constituency in the 2018 elections.
Jadhav alleged that both these leaders lobbied against him and ensured that he did not get the party MP ticket while it was given to Rathod Ramesh in the last elections.
Vedma Bojju and Naresh Jadhav said the party has gained some momentum only after Revanth Reddy took charge as TPCC president. “It is high time for the party senior leaders to work hand in hand in the interest of the party to dethrone the TRS from power,” they said.
Meanwhile, former MLC K Premsagar Rao of Mancherial also joined hands with the senior leaders who revolted against Revanth. Rao was aspiring for the TPCC working president post but was made only a member of the TPCC executive.
Surprisingly, both Premsagar Rao and Aleti Maheshwar Reddy, who were opponents for a long time, are now in one group.
Senior Congress leader and former minister Ch Ramachandra Reddy of Adilabad district reportedly extended his support to Revanth Reddy after he met him recently, in a fight against Uttam and Aleti Maheshwar Reddy.
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