KURNOOL: Ahead of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to Kurnool city, the row over flexes has embarrassed the ruling YSR Congress Party. The tussle between Kurnool MLA MA Hafeez Khan and former MLA SV Mohan Reddy reached a flash point on Monday when the flexes put up by Mohan Reddy were pulled down following ‘instructions’ from Hafeez Khan. This caused a headache to the Kurnool Municipal Corporation authorities.
Though District Collector G Veerapandian reportedly resolved the issue on Sunday, the row again erupted on Monday after the KMC staff removed some flexes put up by Mohan Reddy near the venue of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s programme where he will launch the third phase of Kanti Velugu on Tuesday. Followers of both Hafeez Khan and Mohan Reddy approached the police and lodged complaints against each other over removal of flexes set up welcoming the Chief Minister. Taking serious view of the row between the MLA and former MLA, the Chief Minister reportedly sent a strong warning to both Hafeez Khan and Mohan Reddy not to create problems to the party.
Both the present and former MLAs have been conducting programmes and party activities separately in the city for quite a long time. In a bid to iron out the differences between the two leaders, YSRC Kurnool parliamentary constituency president B Y Ramaiah and other party elders held meetings with Hafeez Khan and Mohan Reddy. Though the two leaders were warned against indulging in bickering openly causing embarrassment to the party, they have not changed their attitude, said a senior YSRC activist.
Mohan Reddy, who was elected on YSRC ticket in 2014 elections, defected to TDP and continued in it till the general elections. He switched loyalties and joined YSRC just before Assembly elections in 2019.
Mohan Reddy who is encouraging TDP, Congress and other parties to join YSRC, has maintained that he is doing it as per the directions of the party high command and he has not crossed the party line.
Hafeez Khan alleged that Mohan Reddy was interfering in his official programmes. The MLA expressed his ire over extension of invitation by Mohan Reddy to other party activists to join YSRC without consulting the YSRC leadership and obtaining its consent. “Mohan Reddy was admitted to YSRC by Jagan only after the former’s assurance that he would act as common activist,” he said.