Dumped by party, ex-MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy left to own devices

Khammam: Former MP and senior TRS leader Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy seems to be given a raw deal from the party high command and its leaders in erstwhile Khammam district, if the recent incidents are any indication.

Being a senior leader in the party, he is being targeted by many and even police cases are booked against him. TRS cadres and Srinivas Reddy's followers in the district are unable to digest the latest happenings that are much to their chagrin.

It may be noted that the former MP who enjoys a clout all over the district because of his affinity to the cadres used to tour all over the district to maintain his relationship with district to village cadres attending all types of ceremonies and extending financial aid to the needy.

As part of such visits on Friday, he intended to participate in a programme at Mallemadugu village of Aswapuram mandal in Kothagudem district to unveil the statue Dr BR Ambedkar installed at the village by the locals.

On that day Srinivas Reddy was accompanied by his follower and former SC Corporation Chairman Pidamarthi Ravi, former MLA Payam Venkateswarlu, Tulluri Brahmaiah and others. However, his visit to the village was challenged by Pinapaka MLA and TRS district president Rega Kantha Rao. The MLA vented his ire against the former MP on social media openly accusing the latter of coming for a war in Pinapaka constituency. The unveiling of the Ambedkar statue was marred by violent clashes between the MLA and former MP's followers.

Surprisingly, the local police booked criminal cases against Srinivas Reddy, Ravi, Brahmaiah and others in connection with the Mallemadugu incident, even though they happened to be the ruling party leaders. And that has caused much commotion in the TRS ranks in the district.

Kantha Rao's followers took to the social media with a campaign against Srinivas Reddy and many TRS leaders and cadres were not able to digest the attitude of the sitting MLA. Many feel that the former MP seems to have been abandoned by the TRS leadership. After being denied a TRS ticket in the last general elections, the former MP remained silent for days. Following the pressure from his followers and party leaders he became active in the district politics by moving all over the district.

"In every meeting he appealed to party leaders and workers to follow the party rules and strive for the party developments and create awareness on government schemes. He never commented against any party leaders' said Prasad, a follower of Srinivas Reddy. It is not correct on part of the police and the MLA and his followers to stop the former MP's convoy and throw stones on him. It will send wrong signals to the party cadres, he said and objected to Kantha Rao's statement wherein he posed "What Ponguleti has to in my constituency'

When contacted, Srinivas Reddy told The Hans India that the locals who love him invited him to personally attend Ambedkar statue's unveiling programme at the village. He made it clear that he had not crossed the party's line of discipline or directions.

A similar incident happened in Sathupalli constituency some time back wherein the local MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah objected to the former MP touring in his constituency. However, Srinivas Reddy's followers feel that there is no border or restrictions for a leader to serve the needy.

Everyone should strive for the party development of the party. The former MP carried out many charity works during the Covid outbreak and extended financial aid to the party workers from his pocket and at that time none had raised objections, noted a senior TRS leader. The services of Srinivas Reddy are much needed for TRS if it wants to win all the ten Assembly seats in erstwhile Khammam as he has a following all over the district. But resorting to group politics and disturbing leaders and workers is not correct, he said.