Telangana: Ganga Reddy’s murder opens old wounds in Congress

War of words between Jeevan Reddy & MLA Sanjay Kumar erupts a day after the attack
 Late Maru Ganga Reddy
Late Maru Ganga Reddy
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JAGTIAL: The murder of Maru Ganga Reddy, a former MPTC and close aide of veteran Congress leader T Jeevan Reddy, has led to turmoil in the district unit of the ruling Congress.

A day after the murder, a war of words erupted between Jeevan Reddy and Jagtial MLA M Sanjay Kumar, who recently defected to the Congress from the BRS.

In separate interviews to the media, the two leaders levelled allegations against each other, albeit indirectly.

 Late Maru Ganga Reddy
Jeevan Reddy’s close aide murdered in Telangana's Jagtial

Jeevan Reddy said that the MLAs who migrated from the BRS to the Congress after the elections should be suspended. “As per Schedule 10 of the Constitution, if any legislator changes parties, he or she is liable for suspension. AICC leader Rahul Gandhi is also against such defections,” the MLC said.

He revealed that he has already expressed this view to the party high command. “I am deeply dissatisfied over developments in the party. The Congress government in the state is stable, the party enjoys full majority. It does not even need the support of the AIMIM, and there is no necessity of admitting leaders from other parties,” Jeevan Reddy said.

He reiterated that MLAs who defected from the BRS to the Congress to be disqualified. “If this is not being done, the Telangana unit of the Congress is going ahead against the party’s ideology,” Jeevan Reddy said.

“I am helpless today and have been subjected to insults in the party for the last four months. There is an unfortunate situation in the party; genuine Congress leaders are forced to prove their loyalty,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Kumar condemned the allegation that he was in any way connected to the murder and claimed that he was the “original” Congress leader. He recalled he started his political career in the Congress and that the first MP from Karimnagar, A Ranga Rao, was his grandfather. “Ganga Reddy’s murder was not due to politics, it was due to personal rivalry,” Sanjay Kumar said.

He went on to allege that Santosh, the man accused of Ganga Reddy’s murder, campaigned on behalf of Jeevan Reddy in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“As far as my entry into the Congress and my disqualification are concerned, the Assembly Speaker will make a decision,” he said, adding that Jeevan Reddy was targeting him for political benefit.

“Jeevan Reddy is an MLC. The BRS did not even give him its ‘B’ form. I am working for the development of my constituency by coordinating with the government. I have yet to take Congress membership and yet to resign from the BRS,” Sanjay Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Ganga Reddy’s daughter Sharanya alleged there was a deep-rooted conspiracy behind her father’s murder. “Unable to bear his political group, a conspiracy was hatched against him,” she charged.

DSP D Raghu Chander said that the police department was still investigating the murder.

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