Hyderabad: MLC Teenmar Mallanna, who was recently suspended from Congress, said the forward caste leaders were against the political empowerment of BCs and accused chief minister A Revanth Reddy as one of those behind his suspension.
He said suspensions will not deter him from carrying on the BC political empowerment campaign. “An attempt is being made to weaken the BCs by some top leaders in the party,” he alleged. One of them helped BJP win some of the Lok Sabha seats in and around the city, and that caste census was manipulated to bring down the BC population, he further alleged.
Congress hit back at Mallanna, stating he is only interested in his personal growth and has never done anything for the welfare of the BCs. Minister D Anasuya (Seethakka) said Mallanna was talking like an agent of BRS-BJP combine. “The Congress govt has done caste census (survey) and SC categorisation, which both the previous BRS govt and the BJP govt failed to do. If Mallanna has objections to the caste census, he should raise them in the council and not in the media,” she said.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) special invitee Ch Vamshi Chand Reddy said chief minister A Revanth Reddy and all the top leaders of the party from SC, ST, BC, minority, and other communities worked hard for him in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “I lost Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha poll because of BRS surrendering its sitting seat to BJP, out of an alleged deal to get bail to K Kavitha in the liquor scam,” he said.
TPCC campaign committee chairman Madhu Yaskhi Goud said Mallanna was once close to Revanth Reddy. “Disciplinary action should be taken against anyone crossing the party line, be it Chinna Reddy or CM Revanth or me. I don’t think different parameters are being adopted for BCs or others in Congress, but it would be better if Revanth clarifies the allegations made by Mallanna, in the interests of the party as the MLC was a strong supporter of him in the past,” he said.