SANGAREDDY: In a calculated political move aimed at checkmating the BRS in the Patancheru Assembly constituency, Congress leaders Kata Srinivas Goud and Neelam Madhu have buried their differences and joined hands ahead of the municipal elections.
The development has made the elections dicey, particularly after local MLA G Mahipal Reddy — elected on a BRS ticket — briefly switched loyalties to the Congress following the formation of the government under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, only to make a sudden U-turn. Recently, Mahipal Reddy reportedly advised his supporters that the BRS should win in five municipalities within the constituency limits. His remarks angered Congress leaders, who resolved to “teach him a lesson” through electoral strategy.
In the last Assembly elections, Srinivas Goud contested on the Congress ticket, while Neelam Madhu fought as a rebel candidate — a split that ultimately helped Mahipal Reddy secure victory. Party leaders now believe that bringing the two together could significantly influence outcomes in Gaddapotharam, Isnapur, Indresham, Gummadidala and Jinnaram municipalities.
“We might have won both the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats had these two leaders worked together earlier,” a Congress leader remarked on condition of anonymity.
Sources said Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha played a key role in mediating between Srinivas Goud and Neelam Madhu and facilitating the rapprochement.
Bandi asks voters to question Cong leaders on unfulfilled promises
Karimnagar: Describing the BRS as a “party of land grabbers”, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Tuesday alleged that during its 10-year rule, the pink party leaders forcibly occupied every available piece of land and looted public property.
Addressing a street-corner meeting at Kothirampur ‘X’ Roads in Karimnagar, Sanjay said that 46 BRS leaders involved in land encroachments in Karimnagar were sent to jail. The MoS warned that if the BRS is voted back to power, people’s houses and even their personal belongings would not be safe.
Targeting the present Congress government, he said it has no funds to fulfil its poll promises and to provide good governance. “The CM himself admitted the government has no money,” he said. Asking how Congress would bring funds for the development of municipalities and corporations, he urged people to question the ruling party leaders on their unfulfilled promises if they approach them, seeking votes in the municipal elections.
He also urged voters to elect BJP candidates in all divisions of the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar. “The BRS corporators grabbed land using forged documents and exploited the poor. Over 2,600 police complaints were filed against land-grabbing incidents linked to BRS leaders,” he said.
Congress forced BRS candidates to withdraw papers, alleges ex-MLA
Suryapet: Former MLA Bollam Mallaiah Yadav, along with a large number of supporters, staged a protest at the Gandhi Statue in Kodad on Tuesday, accusing Congress leaders of threatening and forcing the BRS candidates to withdraw their nominations. He said that Geeta Prasad, the BRS candidate in the 11th ward of the Kodad municipality, was “intimidated and forced to withdraw from the race”.
Infighting in Cong triggers chaos over ticket allotment
Jagtial/Karimnagar: Infighting between sitting MLA M Sanjay Kumar and former minister T Jeevan Reddy over municipal election tickets plunged the Jagtial Congress unit into utter confusion. Uncertainty prevailed till late evening over the allotment of ‘B’ forms, leaving party cadre and aspirants deeply divided between camps loyal to Sanjay and Jeevan.
Followers of both leaders filed nomination papers, while several rebels openly declared that they would contest as Independents if denied official party tickets. The situation worsened as tempers flared at the party office. Jeevan allegedly used unparliamentary language against Sanjay during heated exchanges. The fracas took a dramatic turn when one aspirant reportedly fainted, while another attempted to immolate himself by pouring kerosene in protest over ticket
denial. Jeevan later alleged that the elections had turned into a contest between “real Congress leaders and those who migrated from other parties”. Adding to the turmoil, Metpally town women’s wing president Haritha broke down at Jeevan’s residence after being denied a ticket. In Raikal town, Youth
Congress president Nagarju and women’s wing president T Mamata resigned from the party, alleging that leaders who defected from the BRS were being given undue priority. Meanwhile, similar discontent surfaced in the Karimnagar unit of the BJP where saffron party leaders who were denied tickets announced their decision to contest as Independents.
Senior BJP leader Beti Mahender Reddy, associated with the party for nearly three decades, resigned in protest. With both Congress and BJP facing rebellion, several disgruntled leaders are set to contest as Independents in the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation elections, threatening to turn the polls into a fractured, multi-cornered contest.