The latest revolt by senior Congress leader and former Wanaparthy MLA G. Chinna Reddy against the party leadership in the state, as well as the high command for allegedly ignoring senior leaders like him, has created fresh tremors in the Telangana Congress. The issue has now reached New Delhi.
Present Wanaparthy MLA Tudi Megha Reddy has sought appointments with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal and Telangana Congress affairs in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan to lodge a complaint against Chinna Reddy.
Chinna Reddy, who is currently Vice-Chairman of the Telangana State Planning Board, recently made strong comments against the Congress leadership during a meeting in Gopalpet mandal. He also criticised Megha Reddy, the party and the functioning of the government.
Megha Reddy, who had earlier avoided reacting strongly to criticism from the Chinna Reddy camp, has now decided to take the matter to the party leadership.
He first lodged a complaint with Congress Disciplinary Committee chairman Mallu Ravi. Subsequently, on Tuesday, he travelled to Gandhi Bhavan along with a large number of Congress workers from Wanaparthy and demanded action against Chinna Reddy.
He also submitted a complaint to TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, seeking a detailed inquiry into the remarks made by the senior leader against him, the party and the Congress high command.
In his complaint, Megha Reddy is also understood to have sought scrutiny of the call data records of former minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, Chinna Reddy and Chinna Reddy’s personal assistant Bhaskar.
He reportedly argued that such an examination could establish who had been in contact with Chinna Reddy and whether there was any larger political coordination behind the remarks.
Megha Reddy is expected to travel to Delhi on Wednesday to personally take up the issue with the Congress high command.
According to party sources, he had earlier tried to meet Meenakshi Natarajan after submitting his complaint at Gandhi Bhavan. However, she had travelled to Delhi in connection with a Congress Working Committee meeting and could not meet him.
Megha Reddy is now believed to have decided that taking the matter directly to the national leadership would ensure that the dispute is understood at the highest level and that appropriate action is taken.
He has reportedly sought appointments with four senior Congress leaders and is expected to meet them on Wednesday or Thursday, depending on their availability.
Party sources said Megha Reddy is likely to submit video and audio recordings, statements and other material dating back to the period when the Assembly election ticket was changed in Wanaparthy.
There have also been allegations in the past that Chinna Reddy did not cooperate with the party during the elections and extended support to opposition forces. Party workers are expected to include these allegations in their representations to the central leadership.
With the dispute now moving from the constituency level to Gandhi Bhavan and then to the Congress high command in Delhi, the Wanaparthy factional battle has emerged as a significant internal challenge for the Telangana Congress leadership.
