The disciplinary action committee of Congress, which met here on Monday, has expelled six party leaders on the charge of indulging in anti-party activities.
All the six leaders have either joined the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the recent weeks or planning to join it soon. Chairman of the disciplinary committee, M. Kodanda Reddy, issued the orders on expelling the six leaders after holding a meeting.
The expelled leaders are: Arepalli Mohan, former MLA and chairman of TPCC SC cell, Manne Krishank and Ramya Rao, both official spokespersons of TPCC, Naresh Jadhav, former working president of Adilabad DCC, Soyam Bapu Rao, former MLA, and Patlolla Karthik Reddy, who contested the Chevella Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 elections. Mr. Mohan has already joined the ruling party, while Mr. Jadhav is expected to join it on March 20. Mr. Karthik Reddy along with his mother and sitting Congress legislator P. Sabitha Indra Reddy have already decided to join TRS after not getting an assurance on the Chevella ticket this time as Konda Vishveshwar Reddy, the sitting MP, has switched over to Congress from TRS before the Assembly elections in November.
Similarly, Mr. Krishank has staged a protest by burning the publicity material he had prepared in the hope that he would be given an opportunity to contest the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat this time after he was denied Assembly ticket from Secunderabad Cantonment seat. Incidentally, his father-in-law and former Union Minister Sarvey Satyanarayana was given the Assembly ticket but he lost the election.
Interestingly, Mr. Satyanarayan was also suspended by the party after the Assembly elections results following his outbursts against the TPCC leadership alleging that the leadership had intentionally worked against him in that election.
Mr. Karthik Reddy, on the other hand, is vying for the TRS ticket for Chevella Lok Sabha seat this time. Mr. Reddy was denied Assembly ticket from Rajendranagar by the Congress. Mr. Mohan and Mr. Bapu Rao lost the Assembly election as Congress candidates from Manakondur and Boath constituencies.
Meanwhile, the disciplinary committee has revoked suspension of K. Shivakumar Reddy of Narayanpet constituency. He was suspended from the party for contesting the Assembly election against the official candidate of the Congress. The seat was won by S. Rajender Reddy of TRS and Mr. Shivakumar Reddy was the nearest rival and the Congress candidate finished poor fourth in that election.