Ponnala Lakshmaiah, former minister of united Andhra Pradesh, resigned from Congress on Friday. He cited a lack of acknowledgment and respect as the reason for the decision. He said that he reached a point to feel that he could no longer thrive in the "unjust environment". He served as the first PCC President of Telangana state.
Senior Congress leader and former minister of united Andhra Pradesh, Ponnala Lakshmaiah resigns from the party.
In the resignation letter, Ponnala Lakshmaiah said, he was unfairly blamed for the defeat of Telangana in 2014 and removed from PCC President position in 2015. He said that he sought the attention of the PCC President over the last two years to discuss party developments but such attempts were met with a lack of acknowledgment and respect.
Ponnala Lakshmaiah said, "When a group of 50 BC leaders from Telangana went to Delhi to request prioritization for BCs, they were denied even a meeting with AICC leaders. This is an embarrassment for the Telangana state that prides itself on self-respect."
If BC leaders are made to feel insignificant and secondary, it jeopardizes not only their self-esteem but also the party's reputation, he said.
Further, the former Minister compared Congress and BRS. He said, "In contrast, the ruling BRS party recognizes even small BC laborers and grants them MP. MIC, and corporation positions, while our own PCC president, campaign committee chairman, former MPs, and working presidents are unable to secure an audience with the top leadership to discuss the concerns of Telangana's Congress BC leaders."
"We have penned impressive theories within the party, such as the Udaipur Declaration and Raipur Declaration promising to respect seniors and give preference to those who have worked diligently for the party. However, today, tickets are distributed without any regard for party membership or contributions. Unfortunately, we rely en esternal consultants, often disregarding dedicated workers' voices," he said.
