Hyderabad: Strife within the Hyderabad unit of the Congress came to the surface during a meeting held at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday. The meeting aimed to review the party's performance in the Greater Hyderabad region and discuss strategies to strengthen the party ahead of the upcoming GHMC elections.
The Congress had a poor showing in the 2023 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, failing to win any seats in Greater Hyderabad. In an attempt to revive the party, the Congress leadership has been inducting leaders from the BRS and the BJP.
As a result, the party has increased its representation in the GHMC from just two corporators to 23, including prominent figures like Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi and Deputy Mayor Mothe Srilatha, who both joined from the BRS.
However, tensions boiled over during the meeting when Vijayalakshmi and Deputy Mayor Srilatha expressed frustration with city Congress leaders, accusing them of sidelining them in party activities. Heated exchanges ensued, with Vijayalakshmi reportedly snapping, “Don't bark like dogs,” sparking outrage among Congress members, including Rajya Sabha MP M. Anil Kumar Yadav. The comment prompted strong demands for apologies from the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Further disagreements arose within the Khairatabad Congress unit, where former corporator Vijaya Reddy, who unsuccessfully contested the 2023 Assembly elections, accused MLA Danam Nagender who joined the Congress from the BRS, of ignoring her and other Congress leaders in the constituency. Nagender defended himself, stating that he was working to include all party members.
