Medchal Congress candidate attacked by cadre; Uppal witnessed similar infighting

Hyderabad: On Sunday, after Congress released its first list of MLA candidates, Thotakura Jangaiah Yadav who has been given the Medchal ticket, was allegedly attacked by followers of Singireddyy Harivardhan Reddy, the ZTPC of Congress party of the same constituency at the party office in Keesara.

Similarly, Congress workers, who are supporters of different leaders, fought with each other in Hyderabad’s Uppal constituency. The physical altercations have exposed deep divisions within the party, revealing simmering tensions between followers of party leaders.

What led to the clash?

The altercation occurred between supporters of Ragidi Laxma Reddy and those of Mandumula Parmeshwar Reddy when the latter’s followers objected to the exclusion of their leader’s photo from a large banner and began tearing it down. This was during the recent downpours witnessed by the city when a few areas in Uppal were flooded.

The opposing group quickly retaliated and physically assaulted those who tore the banner. The intervention of the police promptly prevented further escalation. Videos of the incident, featuring Parmeshwar Reddy’s supporters assaulting those responsible for tearing the flex banner, rapidly went viral on social media.

Both leaders have set their sights on securing the Uppal Assembly constituency ticket for the upcoming elections. Parmeshwar Reddy’s wife currently represents the GHMC from the Uppal division, and Parmeshwar Reddy held the same position during the previous term.

Internal conflict common among Congress leaders

Incidents of clashes among Congress ticket aspirants are not uncommon when multiple contenders vie for a single position, according to a senior Congress leader.

The Uppal constituency is not an isolated case, as similar conflicts among aspirants, albeit without physical confrontations, have emerged in various other constituencies within the city.

In the Uppal constituency, there were six aspirants namely M Parameshwar Reddy, S Somashekar Reddy, R Laxma Reddy, M Shiva Reddy, P Prabhakar Reddy, and Aamrichetty Narender.

In the midst of these disputes, R Laxma Reddy voiced his concerns about the ticket allocation process and urged the party to consider the candidate’s qualifications and integrity, emphasising that transparent and fair selection is critical to the party’s success.

These intra-party conflicts underscore the challenges faced by the Congress party in managing internal differences and maintaining unity, particularly during the ticket selection process days before elections. The outcome of these tensions may significantly impact the party’s prospects in the upcoming elections, raising questions about how the party leadership will handle these disputes and present a united front to the voters.