Cong issued 2 show cause notice to Venkat Reddy: Jairam Ramesh

Hyderabad: Congress senior leader and general secretary (Communications) Jai Ram Ramesh on Monday that the party has already issued show cause notice to Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and waiting for his response. Addressing the media, Jai Ram Ramesh said that the party has already issued 2 show cause notices to the Congress MP one on October 22 and second on November 4. He said that Venkat Reddy is yet to respond on the notice and later the party high command will look into the matter for the next further action. He warned that Congress is not a railway platform and added that discipline is more important in the party and people will face action if found guilty.

Reacting to Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy's defeat on Sunday in Munugodu bypoll, Jai Ram Ramesh said that the defeat of BJP candidate has brought happiness. He said that the bypolls like this will not affect the Congress.

He said that the Munugodu bypoll was competition between the two rich parties and added that only money and liquor has won and it is not a Congress defeat. Reacting to party candidate Palvai Sravanthi, the senior leader said that Sravanthi had given tough fight in between the two rich parties and appreciated her for the fight.

It is to mention here that the Telangana Congress unit issued a show cause notice to Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy over his insistence on Congress leaders supporting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, who also happens to be his brother, in the Munugodu bypoll in the State. The notice was issued after a purported voice recording, identified as Reddy's, was leaked on social media, insisting that a Congress leader, Jabbar extend his support towards BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy in the upcoming bypoll in Munugodu. The seat was left vacant after the exit of Rajagopal to join the BJP amid tensions over the position of the party chief, currently held by Revanth Reddy.

"It is alleged that this voice recording is viral on social media, and prominent electronic and print media. Prima facie, it is an act of breach of party discipline," read the notice to Venkat Reddy. The MP has been given 10 days to respond to the notice failing which disciplinary action will be taken against him. The issue was brought to the notice of the Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) by the Telangana state in charge, Manickam Tagore. In a video that surfaced on social media, in which the Bhongir MP is seen openly predicting that Congress will lose the bypoll to BJP. "I have been in position for 25 years. Won elections 5 times. Enough for me!" he said. In the video, he can also be heard complaining about Revanth Reddy being the State party chief. The grand old party's internal fights surface as Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra enters the state.

Later after a couple of days, Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy submitted his reply to the show cause notice issued by the party for indiscipline. The Bhongir MP submitted his reply to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on November 1, denying the allegations made against him. Congress general secretary Tariq Anwar had issued notice to the Lok Sabha member on October 22 asking him to reply within 10 days.

The notice was issued after a voice recording went viral on social media in which Venkat Reddy is heard asking a Congress leader to support BJP candidate and his brother Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy in Munugode by-election. Venkat Reddy is understood to have told the party leadership in his reply that it was a "fake" audio.

The MP reportedly wrote that he is a senior leader in the party who has been serving the organisation for the last 35 years. He complained that he was not given due importance in the party. A video clip had also gone viral a few days ago in which Venkat Reddy is heard predicting that Congress will lose the by-election to Munugode Assembly seat. Venkat Reddy, who is the star campaigner of the Congress party, did not campaign for the party in Munugode, where polling was held on Thursday.

Venkat Reddy's brother Rajagopal Reddy had resigned as MLA and also quit Congress to join the BJP. He contested as BJP candidate. There have been speculations in recent weeks that Venkat Reddy will also follow his brother and switch loyalties to the BJP. The audio and video of the MP have surfaced days after he made it clear that he will not campaign in Munugodu. His action had embarrassed the party when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra was passing through Telangana. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had told reporters in Hyderabad on November 1 that if any party member crosses 'Lakshman Rekha', the party will definitely take action.