Congress expels Shashidhar Reddy

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress has started facing 'after-effects' of the drubbing it suffered in the Munugodu byelections.

A senior party leader and former minister M Shashidhar Reddy gave a jolt to the party as he decided to join the BJP. He already met top BJP leaders - Amit Shah and JP Nadda -- in Delhi. The senior leader took a broadside at TPCC president A Revanth Reddy for not showing respect to the senior leaders in the party.

Soon after the Munugodu byelection results were announced, Shashidhar Reddy raised a banner of revolt against Revanth. He alleged that senior leaders were ignored in the party during byelections and it was the main reason the party forfeited deposit.

In August, the veteran leader launched a scathing attack on TPCC chief Revanth Reddy and AICC in-charge of Telangana, Manickam Tagore and found fault with their style of leadership. He also took issue with Revanth Reddy equating senior leaders of the party to home guards. Recently, he had commented that the Congress party was suffering from cancer. Consequently, the Congress took serious note of Reddy's allegations and expelled him from the party for six years.

TPCC Disciplinary Action Committee G Chinna Reddy after a zoom meeting with party leadership said that Shashidhar Reddy's meeting with BJP top leaders and his comments against the party leaders attracted the disciplinary rules and guidelines of the party constitution.

"Keeping in view of the seriousness of the situation and anti-party activities of the senior leader, the TPCC has decided to expel him from the party for a period of six years," he said.

Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy held a meeting with available senior leaders at the party head office Gandhi Bhavan and decided to launch people's movements on Podu lands, Dharani, non-waiving of farm loans, and housing plots. The meeting also decided to prepare a long-term action plan to intensify the fight against the state government on people's issues.