By Oracle
The going seems to be tough for the Grand Alliance or People’s Alliance, whatever name you may call it by, what with 40 rebels throwing their hats into the ring to test their fortunes. It may not be easy for many of the rebels to make it, but they sure will upset the proverbial applecart of the official nominees of the “Kutami”.
The Congress rebels are out in the open on Thursday denouncing the party decision. Foremost and ferocious among them was P Karthik Reddy, the son of the former Home Ministers P Sabitha and the late Indra Reddy. While he was aspiring to contest from Rajendranagar Assembly constituency, his mother was given a ticket from Maheswaram. Angered by this, Karthik quit the Congress. His followers demoed Congress-mark protest by ransacking the office, smashing the pedestal of a Congress flag post and shredded party flags and banners.
The allegations levelled by Kyama Mallesh, District Congress Committee president of Ranga Reddy district, have cornered the party’s central leadership. For, he names the son of senior party functionary and former Union Minister Bhaktacharan Das’s son Sagar as having demanded a bribe of Rs 3 crore for giving him the party ticket. Mallesh also brought in how the Congress leadership was ignoring senior and committed leaders of the party and also Backward Classes in allotting the tickets.
Serilingampally former MLA Bhikshapathi Yadav is seriously contemplating entering the fray as a Congress rebel. Jangaiah Yadav from Medchal, Patel Ramesh reddy from Suryapet are cut up with the party for they were denied the tickets.
Former Hyderabad city mayor Banda Kartheeka reddy indeed embarrassed the party leadership by squatting in front of the residence of none other than Congress president Rahul Gandhi and had to be removed by police. Arvind Reddy, who expected the party ticket from Sirpur, is proposing to join the TRS as the Congress fielded Premsagar Rao from this seat.
The Telangana Jana Samithi, by announcing 12 candidates, instead of the eight given by the Congress is also causing trouble to the senior partner in the alliance.
The Telugu Desam Party is grappling with dissidence in Serilingampally. Movva Satyanarayana’s entry as a rebel in the fray seems to cause terrible embarrassment to the official nominee Bhavya Ananda Prasad. The Kukatpally Assembly seat, which was earlier given to former minister and senior leader E Peddi Reddy, is now given to Chundru Suhasini, daughter of late N Harikrishna, son of NTR. This naturally angered Peddi Reddy. The TDP is facing trouble in Qutbullapur Assembly constituency also.
With almost 40 rebels entering the fray, how many would remain and how many would withdraw and still work for undercutting their own party vote bank will be interesting to watch.