HYDERABAD: Even as questions were being raised about the future of the disgruntled Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy with the Congress, he tried to clear the air on Monday by maintaining that he would remain in the party, a day after the Munugode results were declared.
While most of the party’s senior leaders joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra, his absence even on the last day of party leader Rahul Gandhi’s stay in the state has intrigued many.
According to AICC leaders he is yet to respond to the showcause notices that the party issued him on October 22 and November 4 following reports of his canvassing Congress activists’ support for his brother and BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy ahead of the Munugude bypoll.
Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh during a media interaction at Jukkal in Kamareddy district on Monday warned that the Congress was not a “railway platform” and that disciplinary action would be initiated against the party MP.
“Discipline is important for the party. If anyone crosses the Laxman rekha, AICC will take action, there is no doubt about this. We have issued two showcause notices and he is yet to reply. Our disciplinary action committee (DAC) will take a final call,” Ramesh said.
Meanwhile, Venkat Reddy who is avoiding the media, told a Telugu news channel he was not leaving the party. On the matter of missing the Bharat Jodo Yatra he maintained that since the issue of ‘showcause notice’ was pending, he felt it was not fit to join Rahul Gandhi. When the Deccan Chronicle tried to contact Venkat Reddy, he did not respond.
He was issued the show cause notice for allegedly supporting his brother, who was contesting the Munugode election on a BJP ticket.
While describing Venkat Reddy as a ‘covert’ (agent), Congress Munugode candidate Palvai Sravanthi blamed him for her defeat in the byelection. “Our vote bank was transferred to the BJP. Venkat Reddy while playing covert politics has done major damage. We hope that high command will take action against him,” she said while addressing the media in Nalgonda.
