‘Congress Demanding Crores Before Giving Lok Sabha Tickets’: Senior AICC Member Quits Party, Joins BJP

Former All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and senior Congress leader from Telangana P Sudhakar Reddy on Sunday (31 March) resigned from the party after writing a letter to Congress President Rahul Gandhi in which he alleged that the grand old party is demanding crores of rupees for its tickets, reports Economic Times.

He later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of BJP President Amit Shah.

"Unfortunately the traditions and values of Congress party have changed contrary to the principle of the party. Money influence increased in the allocation of tickets in Telangana in Assembly elections of 2018, MLC elections and Lok Sabha elections of 2019," he wrote in the letter to the Congress president, as reported by ET.

"It is shocking to find that crore of rupees sought for allocation of party tickets. This kind of commercialisation of ticket allocation in Indian National Congress forced me to think about leaving the party," he claimed.

"I tried my best to convey the factual ground situation but high command is not receptive due to middlemen. I was annoyed with the attitude of the Congress party and its prominent leaders. There has been an inconsistent stand of Congress leaders on the issue of terrorism, national security and encouraging such kind of actions by the Congress high command has brought a bad reputation for the party and its leaders," he said.

"Since the party has failed to understand the sentiments of countrymen, I felt, it is not proper to continue working with middlemen, irresponsible persons in Congress party," the resignation letter read.

After resigning from the Congress, Sudharkar, on 31 March, joined the BJP in presence of its chief Amit Shah, ANI has reported.