MLA Shashidhar Reddy blames Revanth and Manickam Tagore for the disarray in the Congress party in Telangana.
MLA Marri Shashidhar Reddy, centre, is the latest to raise his voice against PCC Chief Revanth Reddy in Telangana. (Facebook)
The Telangana Congress, with its reputation as a perpetually divided house, is living up to its billing.
The tide of dissidence that rose after the exit of the sitting Munugode MLA Komatiredy Rajagopal Reddy, who has since resigned from the Assembly, refuses to abate.
In fact, it appears to be only gaining in strength at a time when the BJP is waiting eagerly for Congress leaders to cross the road that divides Gandhi Bhavan and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Bhavan in Nampally in Hyderabad.
BJP leaders are making guarded comments that they already have a number of Congress fish in their net who are ready to raise slogans like “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jai Sri Ram” in the public meeting to be addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Munugode on Sunday, August 21.
The latest to join the band of those who are openly criticising PCC chief A Revanth Reddy and his “godfather”, Telangana in-charge Manickam Tagore, is four-time MLA Marri Shashidhar Reddy, the son of former chief minister Chenna Reddy.
Shashidhar Reddy’s tirade was a little surprising as he has, over time, acquired the aura of an “intellectual” who keeps away from the tough and tumble of daily politics, focussing instead on weightier issues that bedevil the nation. He worked as the vice-chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority under Manmohan Singh’s dispensation.
Shashidhar Reddy, blamed the two leaders, Revanth and Manickam, for the party showing signs of disintegrating in Telangana.
He said this was because neither of them was ready to take others along and, instead, were misleading Rahul Gandhi by distorting the situation in the Telangana Congress.
Interestingly, Shashidhar was among the dissidents who had skipped the ceremony when Revanth took over as PCC chief in July 2021. The others who gave the ceremony a miss included MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, and V Hanumantha Rao, who had the excuse of undergoing treatment for a kidney ailment in a hospital.
After Rajagopal Reddy left, the dormant embers began burning when Revanth Reddy, who is irrepressible when he begins attacking someone, made some uncharitable comments against Komatireddy Venkat Reddy while he was slamming his brother Rajagopal for deserting the party.
Then his confidant Addanki Dayakar used objectionable language against Venkat Reddy in a public meeting in Chandur in the Munugode constituency.
Though Revanth apologised to Venkat Reddy for his comments and also on behalf of Dayakar, it has cut no ice with the latter. After Rajagopal’s exit, AICC secretary Dasoju Sravan also bid adieu to the party, dealing a blow on the ailing Congress.
Though the AICC leadership is trying to douse the flames of dissidence, its efforts are not going anywhere. On the contrary, it is turning into a conflagration.
The AICC leadership is understood to be a little flustered over the open defiance to Revanth Reddy.
However, it has reportedly taken with a pinch of salt the reports that many “seniors” have not evinced any interest in Rahul Gandhi’s Azadi Gaurav Yatra or in connecting with people in Munugode, even though BJP leaders have begun poaching ground-level activists of the Congress.
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