Tensions erupt in Patancheru as Congress workers protest against MLA Mahipal Reddy

Patancheru: Congress workers staged a protest outside the office of MLA Mahipal Reddy in Patancheru on Thursday, January 23, 2025, expressing their anger over his actions since his defection from the BRS to the Congress in July 2024.

The protesters raised slogans demanding the preservation of the Congress party. They replaced the photo of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) with that of current Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

Following the protest, the camp office was attacked, and the furniture inside was damaged. The unrest stemmed from local Congress workers’ frustration over Mahipal Reddy’s alleged continued promotion of BRS cadres in the constituency.

Congress workers claimed they had been harassed by his followers and raised questions about why Revanth Reddy's photo had not been displayed in the office despite a year of Congress governance in the state.

A group of Congress leaders and activists gathered near Patancheru Chowrasta, demanding a resolution to the ongoing tensions between the party's old and new leaders. They called for Mahipal Reddy’s resignation if he continued to align with the BRS.

According to the reports, the rift in the Congress party has been widening ever since Mahipal Reddy’s induction. Local Congress leaders had opposed his entry, but the state leadership convinced them to accept him. However, Congress workers have continued to voice dissatisfaction over his past actions.

Police were deployed in large numbers to prevent further escalation. The ongoing protest is about the divisions within the Congress party in Patancheru.