Now, it's city Mayor's turn to face party activists' ire

Hyderabad: A day after the five MLAs met each other, expressing dissent over Minister Ch Malla Reddy, Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi now faces the ire of BRS activists in Uppal as followers of the local MLA Subhash Reddy obstructed the Mayor for not involving Subhash in her programmes. The party's working president K T Rama Rao is likely to call the MLAs for a meeting in a couple of days.

The ruling party which is known for its discipline all these years is now witnessing conflicts against public representatives as there were two incidents in the past two days, which highlighted the same. Gadwal Vijaylakshmi had come to Chilukanagar in Uppal Constituency to lay the foundation stone for several developmental works. However, followers of MLA Bheti Subhash Reddy confronted her for not inviting the local MLA in the programme. The Mayor, who is also the daughter of party's secretary general K Keshava Rao tried to convince by saying that the programme was decided on Saturday and an invitation was also sent to the MLA. She asked the MLA's followers whether their leader has got no other work or not and also as to whose fault it is if the MLA himself has not turned up.

The MLA's followers did not listen to the Mayor and raised slogans like "Mayor go back", alleging that the Mayor had violated protocol. She said that it was the zonal commissioner of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) who invited her, including the local MLA and local corporator to the programme. The mayor had to leave the area without taking up the programme.

On Monday, five MLAs including Subhash Reddy, Mynampally Hanumanth Rao, K P Vivekanand, A Gandhi and M Krishna Rao had a meeting, protesting against the unilateral decisions of Minister Ch Malla Reddy and for the second consecutive day, the differences between the party leaders in the Medchal district came to the fore.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the party's working president K T Rama Rao is likely to meet the five MLAs. Rama Rao was in Sircilla on Tuesday to take part in the Atmiya Sammelanam of the party cadre on Tuesday. After coming to Hyderabad, it is learnt that he would summon the MLAs and hold discussions.

The Labour Minister, who is facing the heat from the MLAs said that he was ready to hold discussions with them and in an informal interaction with the media, he added, "I am not a person to have confrontations with others. There is no issue between us. I will go to the houses of the MLAs and talk to them. I am a Gandhian by nature and this is our family matter. If needed I will invite all to my house". He said that it was not him but Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and the Minister K T Rama Rao who would give posts to the leaders.