NALGONDA: Throwing claims that the Komatireddy brothers have been lobbying the Congress high command in allotting party tickets to their family members and followers, irked leaders of the party in Nalgonda — along with their supporters — threatened to join the TRS party if the alleged nepotism continued. The leaders alleged that Komatireddy Venkat Reddy was employing ‘blackmail politics’ to get what he wanted.
With the Congress party having nearly finalised its LAC MLC byelections ticket to Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy’s wife, Lakshmi, party leaders maintained that the brothers were misusing their power by putting pressure on the high command. They also slammed Venkat Reddy and Rajagopal Reddy for allegedly ‘grabbing’ the Narketpally ZPTC ticket for their elder brother Komatirddy Mohan Reddy.
In the 2018 Assembly elections, the Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Rajagopal Reddy had exerted their influence on the high command to allot Munugude Assembly seat to the latter brother, claimed several leaders. They had, in fact, did the same for Congress leader Chirumarthi Lingaiah in Narekal and Addanki Dayakar from Thungathurty Assembly constituency. Needless to say, they were successful in getting the tickets. Interestingly, Chirumarthi Lingaiah won from the Congress party and joined the TRS party soon afterwards. Addanki Dayakar, however, was defeated by TRS’ Gadhari Kishore.
Senior Congress leaders remarked that the party did not belong to the Komatireddy family and they asked the high command to consider other workers in the party while picking their candidates.