TRS takes the debate route in poll run-up

Warangal: Amid the political developments in Munugode in the run-up to the Assembly elections next year, a curious trend of politicians challenging their local rivals to debates is on the rise.

The tendency seems to be especially acute among TRS members, who seem to be taken with the debate route to prove their supremacy — or innocence — over allegations of corruption and misgovernance.

In one such instance, Warangal East MLA Nannanpuneni Narendar came down heavily on Errabelli Pradeep Rao, who recently quit the TRS, over his comments against the party. Narendar dared Rao to a debate and said that none who challenge the party will be spared.

Pradeep Rao retaliated by challenging Narendar to resign as MLA and face him in a bypoll. “If he wins, I am ready to quit politics and will never contest again,” he said.

On the same lines, Jangaon MLA Muttireddy Yadagiri Reddy challenged BJP’s Bandi Sanjay, whose padayatra is scheduled to wind its way to Jangaon, to a debate to prove that the Niti Aayog had recommended that the Centre allot Rs 24,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya of the state government.

“If Bandi Sanjay proves me wrong, then I am ready to resign from my MLA post,” Reddy said.

Sanjay seems to be a target not only for the TRS but also the Congress, with former MP Ponnam Prabhakar challenging him to a debate on developmental works undertaken in his Lok Sabha segment and funds procured from the Centre for Karimnagar.

TRS’s former MP Boinpally Vinod Kumar also piled on the pressure for a debate, but Sanjay did not respond to their challenges.

Ramagundam TRS MLA Korakanti Chander Patel — facing allegations of corruption of `45 crore for providing jobs in Ramagundam Fertiliser Company Limited (RFCL) — challenged his political rivals to an open debate.

BJP district president Somarapu Satyanarayana and Congress Assembly segment incharges Tagore Makkan Singh and Teenmaar Mallanna accepted the challenge, but were detained by the police at the venue.

BJP’s Etala Rajendar has been targeted by the TRS, with MLC Padi Koushil Reddy challenging him to a debate and outdoing him in the next year’s polls. However, Rajender dismissed the challenge saying he did not wish to interact with those who attacked Telangana activists during the statehood struggle.