As the elections to the Telangana assembly are fast approaching, it’s time for Aaya Rams and Gayaa Rams in all the political parties.
Even those who had been loyal to their parties for decades will be compelled to shift loyalties to sustain their political future.
On Friday, senior Congress leader and former minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah resigned from the party alleging that he was being humiliated in the party and stating that there was ‘unjust environment’ prevailing in the party.
Ponnala, who served as a minister for nearly 10 years in the Congress government during Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, Rosaiah and Kiran Kumar Reddy governments, sent his resignation letter to All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge, explaining the reasons for my decision to quit the party.
“I cannot continue in the party which has no respect for weaker sections and seniors like me, who had served the party for over four decades,” Ponnala, a four-time MLA from Jangaon assembly constituency, said.
Soon after Lakshmaiah announced his resignation, Bharat Rashtra Samithi leaders led by K T Rama Rao contacted him and invited him into the party.
“In all probability, he may join the BRS at the public meeting of party president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Jangaon on October 16,” sources said.
Ponnala served as the president of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee at time of bifurcation of combined state in 2014 and later continued as the Telangana PCC president for one more year, before he was replaced by N Uttam Kumar Reddy.
He alleged in the letter that he was unceremoniously removed from the position of the PCC president in 2015, though the Congress lost the elections all over the country.
Apparently, Ponnala was told that he won’t get the party ticket this time. The Congress is likely to field District Congress Committee president Kommuru Pratap Reddy from Jangaon constituency this time.
Ponnala said he could no longer thrive in such an unjust environment. He said the candidate selection process, which should ideally be driven by the principles of fairness and representation, had come under question.
“Allegations of irregularities further erode our party's integrity. Unfortunately, we rely on external consultants, often disregarding dedicated workers' voices," he alleged.
Lakshmaiah alleged that when a group of 50 BC leaders from Telangana went to Delhi to request prioritisation for the backward classes, they were denied even a meeting with AICC leaders. He dubbed it an embarrassment for a state that prides itself on self-respect.
"It is deeply unfortunate that senior leaders like me have had to wait for months to discuss party concerns and I have personally expressed the frustration at waiting for 10 days in Delhi to meet AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal," he added.