The Hindu : Death blow to Congress in Mahabubnagar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Others

Death blow to Congress in Mahabubnagar

By Our Correspondent

MAHABUBNAGAR, MARCH 30. The electoral alliance between the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi has virtually dealt a death- blow to the Congress in Mahabubnagar district.

Led by the DCC president, S. Jagadeeshwar Reddy, almost all top leaders of the district -- the APCC general secretary, Mallu Ravi, the former Minister, D. K. Samarasimha Reddy, the APCC joint secretary, D. K. Aruna, her husband and former MLA, D. K. Bharatsimha Reddy, the former Minister Puli Veeranna, and the Backward Cell chief of the DCC, D. Sahadev Yadav, have decided to bid goodbye to the Congress and contest as Samajwadi Party candidates.

It is learnt that some of the top leaders met at the residence of Mr. Jagadeeshwar Reddy and took a firm decision on deserting the party.

The Congress leaders have taken this extreme step to "teach a lesson" to the party high command for surrendering six Assembly seats out of 13 and one Lok Sabha seat (Nagarkurnool) out of two in the district to the TRS as part of the seat-sharing arrangement.

Incidentally, Mr. Bharatsimha Redy, Ms. Aruna and the Wanaparthy ex-MLA of the Congress, Chinna Reddy, have in the past few days been trying to mediate with the TRS chief, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, not to insist on so many seats in Mahabubnagar district. They were particular that the Congress should field its candidate from Gadwal.

The DK brothers, who have been at loggerheads in the past six years, are said to have come to an understanding. According to their understanding, Mr. Samarasimha Reddy will contest from the Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha constituency as SP candidate while Ms. Aruna will file nomination on behalf of the same party for the Gadwal Assembly seat.

Separately, Congress workers of Jadcherla at a meeting today decided to field Mr. Mallu Ravi from the Jadcherla Assembly constituency. Mr. Jagadeeshwar Reddy, Mr. Puli Veeranna and Mr. Sahadev Yadav would also file their nominations on Wednesday for the Mahabubnagar Assembly seat but only one of them will finally remain in the fray.

The Congress member of the dissolved Assembly from Kollapur, Jupalli Krishna Rao, who has resigned from the party after being denied party ticket, will also contest as rebel.

The TRS district vice-president, B Srinivas Reddy, has decided to file nomination as an independent candidate protesting against the party high command's decision to deny him ticket.

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