The Congress party that claims to be very strong in Khammam district witnessed ugly scenes on Wednesday with activists hurling plastic chairs at each other. Several sustained bleeding injuries and a few broke their arms. The party convened a meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the poll strategy and candidates from Sattupally and other constituencies.
On the first day, there was a verbal duel between former union minister Renuka Chowdhary and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and their followers. On Wednesday, the Sattupally constituency leaders held a meeting where followers of different leaders came to blows in a fit of anger. There were too many candidates for each constituency and each of them wanted to corner the ticket somehow.
The party observers Nissar Khan, Renuka Chowdhary, V Hanumantha Rao and others were dumbfounded at the party workers went berserk and resorted to violence. The situation is no different in Warangal. In the presence of TPCC president A Revanth Reddy, the leaders of various constituencies raised slogans against each other and instigated their followers.
In Jangaon, Ponnala Laxmaiah and Kommuri Pratap Reddy are fighting for the ticket. In Warangal West, N Rajender Reddy and Janga Raghava Reddy are vying for upper hand. In Station Ghanpur, Dommati Sambaiah and Indira are fighting for the ticket and in Wardhannapet, N Srinivas and B Judson are fighting for the ticket.
Everywhere the Congress party leadership is facing rough weather. The infighting is likely to cost the party its prospects in the ensuing elections. “The party does not need a rival party to defeat. The leaders within the party are enough to sabotage the party’s chances,” quipped a senior leader observing the developments. The Congress leaders claim that the party has a stronghold in the Khammam and Nalgonda districts. But, in these two districts, the internal fighting is more.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao