Has Jagga Reddy’s arrest put Congress on backfoot?

SANGAREDDY: Before Tuesday, the Congress party was set to confirm former MLA Turpu Reddy, alias Jagga Reddy’s candidature for the Sangareddy Assembly constituency. Reddy, one of its most prominent leaders in the region, was hailed by TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy who had declared on multiple occasions, in public meetings even, that there was no doubt of his candidature for the ticket. So one can imagine the party’s concern, nay panic, now that Jagga Reddy has been arrested in connection to a human-trafficking case.

Reddy is not the only Congress leader to have allegedly been caught on the other side of the law- Kodangal MLA Revanth Reddy was arrested in a ‘cash-for-vote’ scam, only to be released on bail. However, in this case, the case in which Jagga Reddy finds himself in is a serious issue and Congress leaders are confused whether they should continue advocating for him. Since Reddy is also at risk of being disqualified from contesting elections, the party is also trying to come up with alternative candidates, the chief of which is Reddy’s wife Turpu Nirmala.

Reddy was known to be close to then Chief Minister YS Rajashekhar Reddy. Since then he has always been deeply critical of TRS leaders. He has criticised caretaker CM on multiple occasions and had recently organised a campaign against irrigation minister Harish Rao for allegedly diverting much needed Singur water to Karimnagar district.