JAGTIAL: Political activity has picked up in the temple town of Dharmapuri following discontent expressed by the silence of senior Congress leader Sanganabatla Dinesh over the allocation of the municipal chairman post.
Dinesh, the Congress mandal president and a close associate of SC Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar, has kept a low profile since his wife, Santoshi, was overlooked for the post. The post was instead given to a BC woman.
On Thursday, hundreds of Dinesh’s supporters, including 28 village sarpanches, met him and conveyed their support. The show of solidarity has become a talking point within political circles in the mandal.
According to sources, leaders from the BRS tried to reach out to Dinesh. However, sources said he has not shown any interest in leaving the Congress, pointing out that he is seen as a committed party worker.
In the recent municipal elections, the Congress won all 15 wards in Dharmapuri. Local party workers attribute the clean sweep largely to Dinesh’s organisational work and mobilisation at the grassroots level. His dissatisfaction over the chairman post decision has since led to unease among the local cadre. “For the last 30 years, I have worked for the party. I could not accept the recent developments. I felt it was unfair to me,” Dinesh said.
Dinesh said that he believes the party would eventually do justice to him.