MANCHERIAL: R Gattaiah, an acolyte of Chennur MLA N Odellu, who died after setting himself ablaze after being disappointed by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s decision to not renominate Odellu for the Chennur ticket, was laid to rest on Wednesday at Indaram amid high drama.
It may be recalled that the Chennur Assembly ticket had been given to Peddapalli MP Balka Suman, instead of Odellu. Gattaiah, reported to be a staunch follower of Odellu, was upset at this announcement. On September 12, he set himself on fire after pouring kerosene on himself. After battling for life for nearly six days, he succumbed to his injuries on September 18.
Ahead of the funeral, Gattiah’s family - wife Vijaya, two sons and brother Tirupathi - locked themselves up at their residence demanding that Balka Suman and Odellu attend the funeral. Tirupathi demanded that a member of his brother’s family be provided a government job. Cops kicked the door open and spoke to Tirupathi for over an hour before he relented to let the funeral go ahead. It is also reported that Odellu spoke to him on the phone and assured him that his demands would be heard. Odellu and Suman are said to have promised the family Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively.
Meanwhile, MRPS founder Mandha Krishna Madiga, who joined the funeral procession, demanded that the government pay Gattaiah’s family a sum of Rs 50 lakh as ex-gratia and a job to one of his family members. Krishna said that the TRS party, while announcing their list of candidates for the Assembly election, had failed to renominate two members of the Madiga community - Odellu at Chennur and Bodige Shobha at Choppadandi.
“By not allowing Odellu and B Shobha to contest elections again, K Chandrasekhar Rao has wronged the Madiga community. I hope the community teaches him and his party a lesson in the upcoming polls,” he added.