Former MP and MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy’s decision to dump the BJP for the Congress set off rumour mills like never before about who would follow him to the grand old party. In fact, the rumours soon forced former minister and BJP national vice-president DK Aruna, former MPs Vivek Venaktaswamy and Konda Vishweswar Reddy and others to take time off from their election work and issue denials condemning the speculations as baseless. While the BJP leaders tried to dismiss the rumours, TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy seized the opportunity to score a few brownie points. Inviting all former Congress leaders to return to the party, Revanth said that the Congress doors are open even for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Caught between a rock and a hard place
If the Congress grapevine is to be believed, senior leaders from Telangana have managed to push TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy into a corner over the allocation of a ticket to former MLA K Laxma Reddy (KLR). The high command had summoned KLR to Delhi and offered him the Maheshwaram ticket. However, Revanth backed the candidature of Parijata Narsimha Reddy from Maheshwaram. KLR asked for the Tandur Assembly ticket, but Revanth this time put his weight behind Manohar Reddy who joined the party recently. Seizing the chance, senior Congress leaders from the State managed to get the party high command to leave it to Revanth to decide which Assembly seat to leave for KLR -- Maheshwaram or Tandur. The TPCC chief is now caught between a rock and a hard place, having to choose between his own “favourites”.
Election season has a taste of its own!
Dasara celebrations for the people of the Armoor Assembly segment were that much tastier this year, with caste organisations gifting them a kg of mutton each. Unlike elsewhere in the State, caste organisations wield a lot of weight in this segment and this may have something to do with their outreach efforts. Caste organisations that are also called VDCs have people from all castes. Politically, Armoor is one of the more important Assembly segments in Nizamabad district. Sitting MLA A Jeevan Reddy is facing P Vinai Reddy of the Congress and P Rakesh of the BJP. Voters can expect tastier days ahead as polling day draws closer!
Inputs: Ireddy Srinivas Reddy, MVK Sastry