It was only a couple of days ago that Pradesh Congress Committee’s star campaigner and Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy gave his blessings to party candidate for Munugode assembly seat Palwai Sravanthi and hoped that she would win the seat.
However, Komatireddy categorically refused to campaign for the party in the by-elections saying he is not going to be part of the exercise because he was insulted by the PCC leadership.
The actual reason is known to everybody. He cannot campaign for the Congress because his brother Rajagopal Reddy is contesting the by-poll on BJP ticket. Since he does not want his brother to be defeated, he prefers to stay away from the Congress campaign.
However, there have been reports that Komatireddy has been asking his followers in the Congress and party leaders at the mandal level to support Rajagopal Reddy, though the latter is from the BJP.
An audio of Komatireddy speaking to a Congress leader from Munugode over phone and requesting him to support for Rajagopal Reddy surfaced on Friday. The audio revealed the Bhongir MP asking his follower to ignore the party affiliation and vote for his brother who had done a lot of good work.
“No harm is done for the Congress. After Munugode by poll, I will become the PCC chief. I will tour the entire state and take up padayatra and bring the Congress to power. You are not going to lose anything. We shall take care of your interests,” Komatireddy was heard saying.
Hours after the audio surfaced in the social media, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy left for Australia along with his family. He is expected to return only November 2, a day before the polling.
Meanwhile, when asked about the telephone conversation of his brother Venkat Reddy with a Congress leader asking for help for his victory, Rajagopal Reddy said there was nothing wrong in it.
He said that several Congress and TRS MLAs were also telephoned him and expressed their wish for his victory in the by-elections. Venkat Reddy might be one of them, he added.
