Congress finalises MLC picks: Party suspends Nagesh Mudiraj for public spat with VHR

Hyderabad: The Congress high command on Monday finalised its nominees for the May 31 elections to the Legislative Council from the local bodies quota. The names were announced by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) after receiving approval from the high command.

For the Warangal local bodies seat, the Congress picked Mr Engala Venkatram Reddy. He is a senior Congress leader from Warangal district and had contested the Assembly election from the Parkal constituency in 2014.

For the Nalgonda local bodies seat, the party nominated Ms Lakshmi Reddy, the wife of Congress Munugodu MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. TPCC secretary Uday Mohan Reddy was nominated for the Ranga Reddy local bodies seat.

Tuesday is the last day to file nominations. Meanwhile Congress leader Nagesh Mudiraj was suspended from the party on Monday for getting into a fracas with former MP V. Hanumantha Rao at a public venue last week.

The TPCC disciplinary committee headed by Mr M. Konda Reddy met at Gandhi Bhavan and took a decision to the effect.

The committee discussed the fisticuffs that broke out during the Opposition parties’ protest against the Intermediate marks fiasco last week. The quarrel between the two Congress leaders had embarrassingly shifted focus from the issue of the protest to the rivalry.

Mr Mudiraj appeared before TPCC disciplinary committee and explained his version. Mr Hanumantha Rao has already given his version in writing.

After discussing the matter, the committee took the decision to suspend Mr Mudiraj from the party. Opposing this decision the city Congress leader staged a protest for some time at Gandhi Bhavan.