Even as the last date for withdrawal of nominations in Telangana ended Saturday, several rebels, defying their party bosses, stayed put in the poll fray, giving jitters to the official candidates.
Though Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh camped in Hyderabad to persuade party rebels to pull out and even threatened “stern action”, several refused to withdraw their nominations. Among such rebels is PCC secretary Bakka Jadson who is contesting against none other than TPCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah himself in Jangaon Assembly constituency.
Warangal DCC president D Madhava Reddy, who filed his nomination in Narsampet against the party’s official candidate Katti Venkataswamy, too remained defiant. The Congress couldn’t convince its rebels from withdrawing in constituencies allotted to its ally the CPI either. Former MLA Malreddy Rangareddy, who managed to get the party’s B form for Maheswaram Assembly constituency despite the fact that it was allotted to the CPI as part of a seat-sharing arrangement, didn’t withdraw his nomination.
Similarly, at Munugodu in Nalgonda district, Congress Rajya Sabha member Palvai Govardhan Reddy’s daughter Sravanthi stayed in the poll fray as a party rebel against the CPI’s official candidate.
The TPCC, however, succeeded in persuading P Sashidhar Reddy, who had filed his nomination as a Congress rebel in Medak Assembly constituency against Vijayashanti, withdraw his papers.
As far as the TRS is concerned, party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao is facing rebel trouble. In Medak LS constituency, TRS rebel Beeriah Yadav has not opted out of the race. Yadav, who had filed his nomination papers after welcoming KCR at the helipad in Medak the other day, decided to remain in the fray.
He even lodged a complaint with district returning officer Smita Sabharwal alleging that TRS leaders KT Ramarao and T Harish Rao were threatening him. Even in Gajwel Assembly constituency, the TRS chief is facing trouble with party rebel Ketireddy Linga Reddy deciding not to withdraw his nomination.
The much-publicised alliance between the TDP and the BJP too appears to be facing a rough weather as rebels in both parties continue to stay in the fray in several constituencies. BJP leader Sankineni Venkateswara Rao, who had quit the TDP and joined the party a few days ago, didn’t withdraw his nomination against TDP’s official candidate in Suryapet.
Same is the case in Goshamahal in Hyderabad, where a BJP rebel is in the fray against the TDP candidate. In Pinapaka Assembly segment in Khammam district, which was allotted to the BJP, a TDP rebel has decided to remain in the fray. Taken aback, BJP leaders from Khammam district have decided to hold a meeting on Sunday to urge their party State leadership to sever ties with the TDP in the district.
