All is not well in Peddapalli for the Congress

Peddapalli is a Parliament constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC). It comprises the assembly segments of Chennur (SC), Bellampalli (SC), Mancherial, Dharmapuri (SC), Ramagundam, Manthani, and Peddapalli.

Hyderabad: The split is clear in the Congress Peddapalli Parliamentary constituency. The differences between leaders, especially MLAs and MP Gaddam Vamsi Krishna, are leaving the party worried with local body elections fast approaching.

Peddapalli is an SC reserved Parliament constituency. Chennur (SC), Bellampalli (SC), Mancherial, Dharmapuri (SC) Ramagundam, Manthani and Peddapalli assembly constituencies are part of the Peddapalli parliamentary constituency.

Though the Congress won all the seven assembly constituencies and the parliamentary constituency, differences amongst the MLAs and the MP is turning into a worrying factor for the State leadership. Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamsi Krishna’s supporters are complaining that the Gaddam family was being targeted in the party.

This was evident with the outburst of the MP’s supporters over lack of protocol for the MP during the ongoing Saraswathi Pushkaralu.

During the formal inauguration ceremony in which Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had participated, the MP’s supporters held placards and raised slogans at the venue. They raised objections over the MP’s name and photo missing from the official invitation and banners put up to greet the devotees. The MP’s supporters also threatened to lodge complaints with the SC Commission in this regard.

They allege that Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, who represents Manthani constituency, despite maintaining a cordial relation with the Gaddam family, was deliberately sidelining the MP and his father Gaddam Vivek Venkat Swamy in party affairs.

This apart, Mancherial MLA Prem Sagar Rao and Venkat Swamy are leaving no stone unturned to secure a cabinet berth. Party sources said Venkat Swamy has the support of the Chief Minister and Prem Sagar Rao has a close rapport with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

The Mancherial MLA had openly shared his views with the AICC leaders and State leaders against giving priority to leaders who joined the party recently. However, Vivek Venkat Swamy is stressing that the party leadership had assured him of a cabinet berth before the assembly elections.

In this context, there are complaints from Vivek’s supporters that the Industries Minister out of fear of losing command over the parliamentary constituency was not keen on supporting his candidature for a cabinet berth.

Meanwhile, the Indian National Trade union Congress (INTUC) appealed to the State leadership to initiate action against the Gaddam family, accusing it of anti-party activities. The INTUC leaders complained that the Gaddam family was creating differences among leaders for political one-upmanship.

Amidst this infighting among the MLAs, the State leadership was concerned about the party’s prospects in the ensuing local body elections.