Hyderabad: The Congress is facing the heat of rebels after it announced 75 candidates. Some ticket aspirants are unhappy at being left out and are contesting as rebels while others whose constituencies were given to the Mahakutami allies have quit the party.
Several leaders including Mr Karthik Reddy, Mr Bikshapathi Yadav, Nr Rohin Reddy and Mr Kyama Mallesh are preparing the ground to contest as independent candidates.
The Congress fielded former minister Sabita Indra Reddy from Maheswaram but her son Karthik Reddy who was lobbying for the Rajendranagar ticket quit the party after he was denied a nomination. His followers destroyed flag posts of the Congress because the seat was allotted to the Telugu Desam.
Mr Karthik Reddy has sent his letter to the party and announced that if the Congress did not announce his name it would be considered as an acceptance of his resignation.
Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Karthik Reddy said, “I’m resigning from the membership of the party and the campaigning committee. If I don’t receive the B-Form, I will consider it as acceptation of my resignation letter.”
He said that the TRS leader Prakash Goud had spread the word that he was not going to get the ticket. “I didn’t believe him and was confident that the party will give me a ticket. But the Telugu Desam announced its candidate and TRS leaders celebrated their victory in advance. Telugu Desam president L. Ramana sold the tickets to earn money.”
Congress Ibrahimpatnam seat aspirant Kyama Mallesh alleged that the party screening committee leader had demanded money for allotting him a ticket. He said, “Congress leaders should feel embarrassed when talking about the Chandrasekhar Rao family rule when the tickets in the Congress are also distributed to family members. A community has taken most of the tickets by betraying the BC community.”
Former MLA Bikshapathi Yadav had expected the ticket from Serilingampally but the seat was allotted to the Telugu Desam. Mr Yadav said he would file his nomination as an independent on November 17.
Mr Rohin Reddy was upset that the Khairatabad ticket which he was aiming for was handed over to Congress spokesperson Dr Sravan Dasoju. Mr Reddy is also preparing the ground to contest as an independent.
Apart from this, former mayor Karthika Reddy staged a protest in Delhi demanding a ticket from Secunderabad. Kamma community leaders were unhappy as the Congress had not nominated a single member of the community in the first two lists. On the other hand, the Congress has appointed Mr Jetti Kusum Kumar of the community as one of the working presidents to calm tempers.
Muslim leaders said the community had got only four seats out of 75 seats declared so far. “Muslims have been ignored. We are ready to quit the party if Muslims are not allotted tickets. At least one Muslim should be given a ticket in each of the erstwhile districts of Telangana state,” said Mr Rasoon Khan, former chairman of the Minorities Commission.
