Anantapur, sri ram

Anantapur: AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s emissary Viswajit Rane ran into a riot for tickets when he visited Anantapur district. Though, Mr Rane is believed to have come here to know about the impact of the YSR Congress on the Congress and thus suggest ways to strengthen the party, all he got were complaints of leaders against one another and hankering for party tickets.

Mr Rane on Friday met party leaders in the district at the Kalluru Subbarao Bhavan at the DCC office.

The prominent groups involved in the intra-party bickering were groups representing revenue minister N. Rahuveera Reddy and party veteran J.C. Diwakar Reddy.

The groups, led by second-rung leaders, complained against each another to Mr Rane when they were called to meet him.

Sources said Tadipathri market yard chairperson B. Naryana Reddy alleged that the Congress got weakened in the district due to Mr Raghuveera Reddy’s negligence. “The party can be strengthened only if leadership is given to Mr Diwakar Reddy,” he said.

A group of Hindupur cadres complained to the Rahul emissary that they have not even been invited to the DCC office for his official visit.

Sources said that while MLC Gundumala Thippeswamy urged that he be given the party ticket for the Hindupur Lok Sabha seat a group of weavers from region sought an MP ticket for their community leader. A majority of the electorate are from the weaver community.

Congress supporters in different groups, including those supporting DCC president K Madhusudhan Guptha, gathered at the conference hall and raised slogans for their leaders. Anantapur MP A. Venkatrami Reddy’s followers asked Rane to pick him for the next elections too.