Andhra YC men on warpath over ticket

HYDERABAD, January 27: The violent unrest over denial of party ticket to Andhra Pradesh Youth Congress president P Sudhakar Reddy continued ...

HYDERABAD, January 27: The violent unrest over denial of party ticket to Andhra Pradesh Youth Congress president P Sudhakar Reddy continued with rival groups staging dharnas at Gandhi Bhavan, PCC headquarters, here on Monday.

Mild tension prevailed when the two groups — one led by Khammam DCC president S Chandrasekhar and the other by Youth Congress leaders — raised slogans and hurled invectives blaming each other of lowering the party’s prestige. Chandrasekhar demanded that Sudhakar Reddy be suspended from the party, while Youth Congress activists continued to demand party ticket to Sudhakar Reddy. At one stage both the groups came to fisticuffs which resulted in bleeding injuries to Narsimha Reddy, a Youth Congress activist. Timely intervention of a strong police contingent and PCC general secretary B Veera Reddy prevented further flare up.

Scores of Youth Congress activists went on a rampage spree yesterday, attacking former chief minister Nadendla Bhaskar Rao at the airport and later setting firefurniture and office records at Gandhi Bhavan. They also tried to attack Chandrasekhar at his residence at New MLA qaurters. The Congress high command at the eleventh hour decided to field Bhaskar Rao instead of Sudhakar Reddy.

Story continues below this ad

Earlier in the day, speaking after unfurling the tri-colour at Gandhi Bhavan, PCC president Mallikarjun said that “action would be initiated at appropriate time” against the Youth Congress activists involved in the violent incidents. He condemned the attack on Gandhi Bhavan and said that violence cannot solve grievances. “We will not leave the culprits to go scot free,” a visibly upset PCC president said. He alleged that the ruling Telugu Desam Party was set to misuse official machinery in the coming elections and called upon the Congress activists to work unitedly in defeating the TDP candidates.

Senior party leaders including former chief minister N Janardhan Reddy, CLP leader P Janardhan Reddy, Rajya Sabha member V Hanumanth Rao and CLP secretary M Kodanda Reddy attendedthe flag hoisting ceremony.

As power lines in Gandhi Bhavan were gutted in the fire yesterday, the office remained dark. Sources said that it would take at least two more days to restore power supply.