Video footage in wide circulation, highlighting the high handedness of hot-headed politicians, has brought negative publicity for Telangana state’s ruling TRS party and its MLA involved in the incident, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy of Jogulamba-Gadwal district.
In the video, Reddy is seen grabbing the collar of a government education official and abusing him in Telugu, even as a large crowd of people looked on in disbelief.
The incident seems to have its roots in the rivalry between two factions within the TRS party. The MLA looks visibly upset and irate on his arrival, when it becomes apparent that the usual party and bureaucratic protocol of waiting for him was not followed but instead, a fellow party member, a ZPTC (Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency) Chairman and junior in party, was allowed to inaugurate the new facilities for the BC communities in his absence.
The MLA’s supporters complain that the timings communicated to them were botched up and that the political/hierarchical faux pas was intentional.
There is rife speculation that this incident is the latest in a series of spats between the MLA, Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy and the ZPTC chair person, Sarita Thirupathaiah both of whom are TRS elected representatives from Jogulamba-Gadwal district.
For more than two years now, this Telangana district has witnessed an open tussle for dominance and power between factions within the TRS party. Officials are complaining about being targeted due to the sectarian differences between the leaders of the ruling party.
The video shows MLA, Bandla Reddy angrily questioning ZP chairperson, Saritha, over misquoted event timings and Saritha is heard apologizing to him. Soon after, the MLA is seen walking towards the government official, grabbing his collar and questioning him in a threatening manner.
Nobody has yet officially filed a complaint and the party has not yet taken a stand either way, as of today.
The current internal feud between Gadwal MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy and Zilla Parishad Chairperson, Sarita Thirupathaiah started during the 2019 ZP elections and reached its peak over the transfer of ZP CEOs. Rumor has it that the ZP chairperson is being backed by Minister Niranjan Reddy and Alampur MLA Abraham, against the choices and actions of the MLA.
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