Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Mar 25: Senior Congress leader and former minister T. Jeevan Reddy resigned from the party on Wednesday, ending a 42-year-long political journey. Speaking at a gathering of supporters in Jagtial, he said he had no choice but to quit after enduring repeated humiliation despite decades of dedicated service.
Despite efforts by the party leadership to convince him to stay, Jeevan Reddy submitted his resignation to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, reaffirming his decision to step away. He accused the Congress leadership of sidelining loyal members while encouraging the 10 MLAs who defected from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in 2024.
Jeevan Reddy criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and other leaders, noting that Revanth Reddy’s rise to the Chief Minister’s office was due to the hard work of party cadres. He recalled writing a letter in October 2024, outlining internal issues, but said no corrective action was taken. Highlighting the lack of empathy, he mentioned the Chief Minister did not even console the family of his follower Ganga Reddy, who was murdered.
He vowed to fight against the Chief Minister but did not disclose his next political move. Jeevan Reddy had decided to resign on Sunday, citing the “growing interference” of defected MLAs in party affairs, warning that such defections could damage the Congress’ image nationally. “Respect is above everything, and in its absence, there is no meaning in continuing in politics,” he said.
The senior leader also targeted Jagtial MLA M. Sanjay Kumar, accusing him of undermining loyal Congress workers who had helped the party rise to power. The recent municipal election ticket distribution, favouring Sanjay Kumar’s group, reportedly escalated tensions and brought infighting into the open.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud and other senior leaders met Jeevan Reddy in Jagtial on Tuesday, urging him to reconsider. Goud acknowledged the veteran leader felt hurt by certain party decisions and emphasized that his experience and long career were valuable to both the TPCC and the AICC.
In an open letter to party cadres, Jeevan Reddy stated that continuing with Congress had become “intolerable amid insults and mental agony.” His clash with Sanjay Kumar, who defeated him in the 2023 elections and later joined the Congress, has been a major point of contention. While petitions seeking the disqualification of the 10 defected MLAs have been dismissed by the Telangana Assembly Speaker, the internal rift continues to simmer in the party.