HYDERABAD: Even before Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy tendered his resignation from the Assembly, the Telangana Congress on Friday tried to show that the cadre remained loyal to the party by holding a massive public meeting at Chandur in the constituency.
The public meeting was attended by top Congress leaders K Jana Reddy, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, R Damodar Reddy, Danasari Anasuya and a host of other leaders. Conspicuous by his absence was Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, the elder brother of Rajagopal. It was perhaps due to this that some of the Congress leaders demanded Venkat Reddy prove his loyalty by campaigning against his brother or leave the party.
Facing allegations of unilateral decisions by the Komatireddy brothers, TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy was at his fiery best at the public meeting, lambasting Rajagopal and accusing him of mortgaging the self-respect of the people of Telangana and the Congress at the feet of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“In pursuit of contr-acts worth thousands of crores, Rajagopal mortgaged the self-respect of the 91,000 voters who cast their votes for him, and ‘Amma Sonia Gandhi’ who gave him the party ticket to contest,” Revanth said.
Asking why Rajagopal was not contesting from the Congress if he felt that only a byelection was key to development, Revanth predicted: “He will be joining the BJP as he was given contracts worth Rs 21,000 crore.”
Referring to Rajagopal’s statement that he was not willing to work under a jailed leader, Revanth pointed out that Amit Shah had spent more time in jail than him and for far more serious charges.“I spent 30 days in jail for fighting against the KCR government, Amit Shah spent 90 days in jail facing murder charges,” Revanth said.
He also claimed that Rajagopal had problems with all the earlier TPCC presidents and the CLP leader. Terming Rajagopal Reddy as a traitor, and deceiver, Revanth said that the former deceived his voters and his leaders.
Recalling that communist leaders were elected from the Nalgonda district, Revanth appealed to the voters to be wise and choose between Sonia Gandhi and Amit Shah who he said had been insulting the Congress president.
Other speakers at the public meeting took turns to condemn Rajagopal for ditching the Congress after being elected as MLA, MLC and MP from the party.