MANCHERIAL: Resentment among TRS partymen over selection of Pedapalli MP Balka Suman to contest the Chennur Assembly seat took a violent turn on Wednesday when R.Gattaiah, a ward member of Indaram village and supporter of former Chennur MLA N Odellu, allegedly tried to set the MP on fire but ended up immolating himself, at a rally which was being addressed by the MP.
While Suman maintained that it was a murder attempt on him by Odellu, Gattaiah suffered 80 per cent burns and his condition is said to be critical. At least 16 others, including circle inspector B Narayan Naik, former sarpanch J Venkatesh, Ramaraopeta MPTC Rajeshwari, C Satyanarayan Reddy and mediapersons who tried to douse the flames, also suffered serious burns. Twelve of them were shifted to a corporate hospital in Hyderabad.
A tug-of-war has been going on between Suman and Odellu since the TRS leadership decided to give the party ticket to the former. On Wednesday afternoon, a large number of party workers gathered at Indaram village to welcome Suman. Supporters of Odelu too gathered there and started shouting slogans against the MP.
Suddenly, Gattaiah, who was present there with a can full of petrol, allegedly tried to reach closer to the MP and, when he did not succeed, doused himself with petrol and set himself afire. Those present around him including policemen and newsmen tried to put out the flames but Gattaih nevertheless suffered burns. Suman, however, proceeded with the rally. Reacting to the incident, Suman said such blackmailing tactics would not work as he was nominated for the seat by party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. “Such things will not discourage me.
I will work for victory and see that I win with a big majority,’’ he said. “He (Gattaiah) tried to pour petrol on me and set me on fire. But he could not come closer to me as he could not breach the ring of my supporters and security personnel,’’ he said.