Senior BJP leader faces land-related complaints from locals

ADILABAD: BJP leaders in this district are a divided lot. To add to the party’s troubles, district party chief Payal Shankar is facing some land-related allegations.

Police have registered cases against some BJP leaders and their family members following the complaints lodged by locals, alleging illegal encroachments. The party central leadership has expressed displeasure over these developments.

A few days ago, Adilabad MP Soyam Bapurao’s gunmen lodged a complaint against BJP leader Loka Praveen Reddy, a close associate of Payal Shankar and Shankar’s son Payal Sharath.

The two "manhandled us when we prevented them from meeting Soyam Bapurao as he was sleeping in his house," the complaint said. However, the Mavala police registered a case under SC and ST (prevention of atrocity) act only against BJP leader Lokapraveen Reddy.

As per reports, the two went to discuss the land-related issues with Soyam Bapurao.

Subsequently, the locals of Ichoda lodged a complaint with the police against Payal Shankar’s son-in-law Siddartha, Gudihathnoor ZPTC Pathangi Brahmanand and four others, saying the BJP leaders encroached into their lands. The police filed an FIR against them.

Leaders of a rival group in the party lodged a complaint with the party high command alleging that Payal Shankar and his family members as also associates were involved in land grabbing and encroaching government-assigned lands. They were also involved in illegal land settlements and such activities brought a bad name to the party, it was alleged.

There were allegations that some TRS leaders indirectly supported Payal Shankar and his “illegal activities.”

Audio recordings involving Payal Shakar, in which he was heard talking about land dealings, went viral on social media a few days ago. His supporters and some BJP leaders were also heard quarrelling between them.

Payal Shankar’s opponents in the party are trying to take advantage of this situation and push him out, with the aim of winning the party ticket for the next assembly polls. News is also making the rounds that caste politics is playing a role in the BJP affairs in Adilabad district.