Donthi Madhava Reddy to fight as an Independent from Narsampet Assembly seat
Pic for representation purpose Photo: File
Hyderabad : Though a majority of dissidents has reportedly withdrawn from contest in Telangana, Congress and CPI candidates, at least in a few Assembly segments, are still under threat. Warangal Congress president Donthi Madhava Reddy on Saturday quit the party and decided to fight on as an Independent for the Narsampet Assembly seat.
He will take on Katti Venkataswamy, a leader of the Joint Action Committee and official Congress nominee. Mr Madhava Reddy is considered to be a popular leader with a strong base in Narsampet Assembly. Efforts by the party to make him relent have failed.
Another “rebel” candidate is Palvai Sravanthi Reddy, daughter of Congress Rajya Sabha member Palvai Govardhan Reddy, who refused to withdraw after the Munogode Assembly seat in Nalgonda district was allotted to the CPI. She is fighting as an Independent and will take on the CPI candidate, sitting MLA V. Yadagiri Rao. Sources said even Mr Govardhan Reddy's attempts to persuade his daughter to withdraw failed.
“What should I do when she is not listening to me?” Mr Goverhan Reddy asked. Interestingly, former MLA Malreddy Rangareddy, who was given the B form by PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah as a precautionary measure, did not withdraw his candidature and is now contesting as the official candidate in Maheswaram Assembly seat in Ranga Reddy. The seat was allotted to the CPI as part of seat sharing agreement.
These developments have made the CPI see red. “This is not proper on part of the Congress. It has violated the alliance dharma. We don’t mind Sravanthi contesting as an Independent in Munugode. In Maheswaram, I see some foul play,” pointed out CPI state secretary K. Narayana.
Sources also said that former home minister Sabita Indra Reddy, who could not be renominated by the Congress, had encouraged Mr Malreddy Rangareddy to file papers a rebel as she believes that the CPI has no winning chances. In this case, too, the PCC president had given the B form to Mr Rangareddy just in case the papers of the CPI turn out to be invalid.
However, the nomination papers filed by both the CPI candidates Mr Azeez Pasha and Mr Rangareddy were found to be valid. Despite Mr Lakshmaiah contacting Mr Rangareddy to ask him to withdraw, sources said that Mr Rangareddy deliberately avoided talking to him till 3 pm when nominations close so that could remain in fray as the Congress candidate.
In the Bellampally Assembly segment in Adilabad, where the CPI’s sitting MLA G. Mallesh is contesting, Congress rebel Ch. Shanker, put up by MLC Premsagar Rao, also remains in the fray.
In Suryapet, the BJP rebel candidate and former MLA Sankineni Venkateswara Rao, remained in fray; the official candidate is the Telugu Desam candidate. The secured the seat as part of the alliance with the BJP
( Source : dc )
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