ADILABAD: After former MLA Aleti Maheshwar Reddy left the Congress to join the BJP, TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy's camp seemed to have become suddenly more active by holding frenetically scheduled meetings to ensure that senior Congress leaders follow him.
The increased activity also comes as CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka completed his padayatra in the erstwhile Adilabad district and entered Peddapalli district on Sunday, with the TPCC chief’s supporters organising the 'Prajaswamya Parirakshana Deeksha' in Ichoda in Adilabad district on Monday.
Revanth Reddy had planned to undertake his padayatra in the erstwhile Adilabad district, but it was rerouted to Nizamabad after a public meeting with Bhatti in Karimnagar to avoid overlap. The Revanth Reddy camp kept a low profile and avoided mobilising large crowds for the Bhatti Padayatra.
The Revanth Reddy camp invited only leaders who are considered as supporters of the TPCC president for Monday’s event. The meeting mainly involved the PCC members, PCC secretaries, mandal and block committee presidents, NSUI , Youth Congress, Mahila, SC, ST and Minority wing leaders.
TPCC official spokespersons Addanki Dayakar and Bellayya Naik and TPCC state general secretary Sathu Mallesh and Congress ticket aspirants Charulatha Rathod and Vedma Bojju, the TPCC state secretary, from Khanapur and Ade Gajender from Boath were present.
Senior Congress leader and ticket aspirant from Boath Naresh Jadhav and former minister Ramachandra Reddy, considered to be Revanth Reddy’s supporters, were absent. The TPCC chief is trying to lure leaders from other parties to join the Congress. He is also trying to counter Maheshwar Reddy’s campaign that all Congress leaders in the Nirmal district were with him and would join the BJP soon.
Revanth’s camp is organizing constituency-level meetings where his group is strong to show that the party is strong and all the leaders are backing him.
Speculation is rife that Revanth Reddy asked former minister Ch. Ramchander Reddy to guide the ticket aspirants and second rung leaders in seven Assembly constituencies by coordinating with TPCC state general secretary Sathu Mallesh. TPCC state general secretary Vedma Bojju told Deccan Chronicle that they will organise a meeting with the party workers in Khanapur on April 18 to counter Maheshwar Reddy’s campaign that all the Congress leaders are with him and no senior leader was left in the Congress.
