Congress Factional Rift Turns Ugly in Delhi: Damodar Rajanarsimha, MLA Laxmikantha Rao in Heated Face-Off

The rift within the state Congress turned ugly with health minister Damodar Rajanarsimha and Jukkal MLA T. Laxmikantha Rao reportedly engaging in a heated exchange at a hotel in Delhi on Sunday over differences in party appointments, particularly the selection of district party presidents for Sangareddy and Kamareddy.

The confrontation reportedly took place at the hotel in the presence of other Congress leaders and legislators who had travelled to Delhi for the party's rally against the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and several ministers were also in Delhi to attend the rally.

Sources said that as the argument over organisational appointments escalated, Rajanarsimha allegedly using abusive language and threatened to physically assault Laxmikantha Rao. The minister reportedly threatened to take the MLA into a room and beat him up. A few legislators from Rangareddy and Mahbubnagar districts were said to have witnessed the confrontation and were shocked by the exchange.

Differences between the two leaders have been simmering for the past few weeks over the appointment of the Sangareddy DCC president and other party positions. Competing recommendations from different sections of the party leadership reportedly triggered the dispute, with the minister said to have objected to the Jukkal MLA's involvement in organisational appointments.

Laxmikantha Rao has since lodged a complaint with the TPCC leadership and was preparing to take up the matter with the All India Congress Committee (AICC), seeking action against Rajanarsimha. The episode has highlighted growing differences within the ruling Congress over the distribution of organisational and nominated posts.