List shocks many leaders, 2 quit party

The Congress’ first list with 55 names has shaken party leaders. A senior Congress leader from Uppal, Ragidi Laxma Reddy, submitted his resignation on Sunday. Turning emotional, Laxma said that he is quitting the party as he was refused a ticket.Speaking to the media on Sunday, Laxma, with tears in his eyes cursed TPCC president Revanth Reddy and said that he will experience the consequences of not giving him a ticket. He said that Revanth was behaving like a dictator and was selling tickets for money. “Revanth asked me also for money but I did not give him money. So he refused me a ticket,” Laxma Reddy said. Senior Congress leader Malreddy Ranga Reddy stopped his door-to-door campaign as the party refused to give him a ticket. Ranga Reddy, who was active suddenly stopped his door-to-door campaign in the Sheriguda village of Ibrahimpatnam on Sunday after the release of the first list.

The party had not announced the Ibrahimpatnam ticket in its first list.

Mooduchintalapally ZPTC Singireddy Harivardhan Reddy who was in the run for the Medchal ticket cried after not getting a ticket. The party gave the Medchal ticket to Thotakura Vejresh Yadav.

Vejresh went to console Harivardhan, who convened a meeting of his followers in at Keesara. However, Harivardhan’s followers blocked him chanting ‘go back’ leading to some jostling between the followers of the two leaders. “Where is the Udaipur Declaration? I enrolled 90,000 people during the enrolment drive. I sold my properties for politicking,” Harivardhan said. He too quit the Congress.

Meanwhile, minority leaders from the Old City blocked TPCC senior vice-president Mallu Ravi’s press conference saying that the party gave tickets to people who do not belong to the party. Mallu Ravi ended his press conference and left Gandhi Bhavan as minority leaders raised slogans.

It is learnt that the Konda Surekha couple are also in shock as their names did not appear in the first list. Their followers are tense as their leaders did not get tickets in the first list. Regarding the protests by party leaders, Bhongir MP and Screening Committee member Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said the party will give other posts to leaders who did not get Assembly tickets.

He said that he would take the leaders to the high command regarding this. He said there were many posts like MLCs, MPs, nominated posts, local body chairman, market committee chairmen and many more.

He asked people who did not get tickets to work with those who got tickets to ensure the victory of the Congress.