Hyderabad: Shortly after Congress announced candidates for five Telangana seats on Thursday, senior party leader G Niranjan vehemently opposed the decision to give Lok Sabha tickets to leaders who recently joined Congress from rival parties, sidelining the existing leaders.
On Thursday night, the Congress announced Lok Sabha tickets for Danam Nagender from Secunderabad, Sunitha Mahender Reddy from Malkajgiri, Gaddam Vamsi Krishna from Peddapalli, Gaddam Ranjith Reddy from Chevella and Mallu Ravi from Nagarkurnool. Danam Nagender, Ranjith Reddy and Sunitha Mahender Reddy recent joined Congress after quitting BRS.
BRS MLA, D Nagender, who joined the Congress party on March 17, was named as the candidate from Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency. He was elected to the Assembly from Khairatabad constituency on a BRS ticket in the recent State elections.
Ranjith Reddy, the sitting BRS MP from Chevella who, too, joined the Congress on March 17, was declared Congress candidate from the same constituency.
BRS legislator and former minister Patnam Mahender Reddy’s wife and Vikarabad ZP chairperson, Sunitha, joined the Congress last month.
Senior Vice-President of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), and Chairman of the Election Commission Coordination committee of the TPCC, on Friday wrote a letter to AICC President, Mallikarjun Kharge, criticising the party’s decision to field the BRS defectors.
“The people of Telangana defeated the BRS and voted the Congress to power as they wished to have a change of government in the state. Fielding D. Nagender, Sunitha Reddy and Ranjith Reddy as Congress candidates is against the expectations of the people and it is also an insult to the Congress cadre and demoralises them. We also have to consider what message it gives to the people and cadre,” wrote Niranjan.
He urged Congress chief Kharge to reconsider the decision and to field committed and loyal Congressmen who stood by the party during good and bad days, in all the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies of Telangana.
“If we really want to have Indiramma Rajyam, we should recollect how Indira Gandhi ji selected and fielded the candidates who were sincere and honest towards the party and its leadership, irrespective of their financial background,” reads the letter.
(With inputs from agencies)
