KHAMMAM: BRS MLA and government whip Rega Kantharao and Congress MLA Podam Veeraiah challenged each other on the dais in the presence of forest minister Allola Indrakaran on Wednesday. A large number of people were watching them.
Both the MLAs said they would show their power in future.
The fight occurred at a government programme in Laxminagar in Dummugudem mandal of Bhadrachalam assembly constituency in Bhadradi-Kothagudem district.
The heated argument between the MLAs was indicative of the rise in the political temperature in the run-up to the next elections.
The issue started with Bhadrachalam MLA Podam Veeraiah raising his objection to Pinapaka MLA Rega Kantharao’s speech in which he said the BRS will win the Bhadrachalam MLA seat in the next elections.
Veeraiah expressed his anger at Rega Kantharao. The two MLAs, both Adivasis, lost their cool and held forth against each other for some time.
Veeraiah said it was objectionable for the MLA to talk about his party and its election projects as this was a government programme arranged to distribute the beedi leaves bonus to the leaf collectors from the government revenue.
Veeraiah said he will lodge a complaint against Rega Kantharao for giving publicity to his party at the meeting, to the legislative authorities. He claimed that he did many works for the welfare and development of the people of his constituency.
Responding to Veeraiah’s comments, Regakantha Rao asked Veeraiah to do whatever he wanted to do against him and that he couldn’t care less.
Minister Indrakaran was feeling tense as the two MLAs were engaged in heated arguments in his presence.
The supporters of the two MLAs present there raised slogans in favour and against. Police intervened to pacify them and the rival groups were dispersed from the scene.
