Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Congress choice of nominees irks party men

Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Selection blues: Women supporters rooting for Deputy Mayor K. Dorabbai in the city on Sunday. —

VISAKHAPATNAM: In four Assembly constituencies in the district besides from P. Mangapathi Rao, MLA from the now-dissolved Uttarapalli in Vizianagaram district, the Congress faces the wrath of its leaders over the selection of candidates.

Gandi Babji (Parawada) who had been the District Congress Committee president, and K. Sitaramu (Bhimunipatnam) have been denied ticket. Mr. Babji’s supporters stormed the house of Commercial Taxes Minister Konathala Ramakrishna at Anakapalle demanding that he be accommodated. With the delimitation of the Assembly constituencies, Parawada constituency was dissolved. Mr. Babji’s supporters question the propriety of the Pendurthi ticket being given to T. Vijayalakshmi, who they allege, is not even a party member.

Mr. Sitaramu has been denied ticket from Bhimunipatnam and replaced by Peela Uma Rani. A former corporator, Ms. Uma Rani, tasted defeat in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation elections held in February 2007. She is said to have been given the ticket since she belongs to Bhimili and on caste equations. A dejected Sitaramu who had banked heavily on the PCC president for the re-nomination, left for Hyderabad along with the supporters to plead his case.

Mr. Mangapathi Rao, elected from the Uttarapalli Assembly constituency (now dissolved) in Vizianagaram district, aspired for a ticket from the Madugula constituency. His supporters created a scene at the airport on Sunday gheraoing Mr. Konathala Ramakrishna.

For Visakhapatnam East, corporator from Ward 60 V. Appa Rao has been picked up by the Congress leadership. Party circles point out that bringing someone from Gajuwaka for a seat in the city when there are other aspirants, is not justified. However, since the Congress wanted to give ticket to someone from the Yadava community in the city this time, it has selected Mr. Appa Rao, it was learnt.

A good number of supporters of Deputy Mayor K. Dorabbai, led by about half a dozen corporators, staged protest at the Ambedkar Junction at Arilova, demanding ticket for Mr. Dorabbai. Three of them doused themselves with kerosene threatening to set themselves afire but were prevented from doing so.

A section of Congressmen are discontented that Pendurthy MLA T. Gurumurthy Reddy got the ticket for the newly carved Gajuwaka Assembly constituency. Mr. Gurumurthy Reddy’s uncle T. Nagi Reddy fielded rebel candidates in the corporation elections opposing the former. He and his daughter-in-law Emila Jhola have been elected corporators. Mr. Nagi Reddy sought ticket to Ms. Jhola. Now the group is reconsidering its options.

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