- Former Minister Puvvada Fires at Minister Thummala
- Anticipation Surrounds Minister Thummala’s Response
The Jubilee Hills by-election is reflecting as a election that taking place in Khammam. Leaders from Khammam, belonging to the two main parties, have camped there and are extensively campaigning for their respective candidates. State Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao is campaigning for the Congress candidate Naveen Yadav. On the other side, former Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, Rajya Sabha member Vaddiraju Ravichandra, and MLC Tata Madhu, are in the field with their followers supporting the BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha. Since nearly all key leaders from the Khammam district are directly or indirectly involved in this electoral battle, the political rivalry prevalent in Khammam is now flaring up there too. Verbal fireworks are erupting.
Puvvada Lashes Out at Tummala over Sunitha’s Tears
On Saturday, former Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, while participating in the BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha’s election campaign, unexpectedly lashed out at Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao. He strongly criticized Tummala’s comments regarding Sunitha.
Puvvada Ajay Kumar Byte (Video)
“When Maganti Gopinath, a kind-hearted man, passed away, if his wife Sunithamma remembers him, won’t tears come to her eyes? Didn’t all our hearts melt? If we remember those who have passed away, won’t a couple of drops of tears fall? Isn’t it wrong that the Minister from Khammam district, who is shamelessly taking up the in-charge responsibilities here, claiming ‘I belong to this community too, I am a great stalwart,’ is speaking such words? That Minister, along with another Minister, Ponnam Prabhakar, next to him, commented that a woman is ‘acting’. Is she ‘acting’?” Puvvada retorted in his characteristic style.
Puvvada Questions Tummala’s Humanity
Puvvada continued his attack, making direct references to Tummala’s political history. “Didn’t you shed tears during the elections? He shed tears in Khammam saying ‘These are my last elections.’ Indian women remember their deceased husbands and mourn for years. Similarly, when Sunithamma shed tears out of emotion remembering her late husband, they are shamelessly calling it ‘acting’. Fine, today you got an opportunity… You changed three parties. You cheated four Chief Ministers in three governments and reached this position. You might get ministerial posts. But, talk politics. Shouldn’t there be humanity while speaking? Why is humanity being burnt to ashes?” questioned former Minister Puvvada, venting his anger at Minister Tummala.
Echoes of Past Khammam Battles
These comments made by Puvvada Ajay Kumar in Jubilee Hills have ignited political heat in Khammam. The rivalry is deeply rooted: In the 2023 Assembly elections, Puvvada (BRS) was defeated by the current Minister Tummala (Congress) in the Khammam Assembly constituency. In the 2014 elections, Tummala (Telugu Desam) was defeated by Puvvada (Congress) in the same constituency. The general elections held between them in the Khammam constituency twice were highly prestigious, with both winning once. Both have a strong base of followers.
Caste Dynamics and Political Heat
The political friction between the two leaders had subsided since the last elections. However, with both leaders campaigning for the two major parties during the Jubilee Hills by-election, the Khammam politics is coming to the forefront there. It feels like the battle that should have taken place in Khammam is now happening in Jubilee Hills. The situation is made more interesting because, Both Tummala and Puvvada belong to the same community. Voters from the same community have a significant presence in the Jubilee Hills constituency. The BRS candidate, Sunitha, also belongs to their community.
This confluence of factors has made the campaigning by Tummala and Puvvada an interesting spectacle, with their dialogues creating a stir back in Khammam. Now, the question is, how will Minister Tummala respond to Puvvada’s comments? It remains to be seen what turn the Jubilee Hills battle will take in Khammam’s politics.
Deputy Editor, Prime Post
With an illustrious career spanning 29 years in the dynamic field of journalism, Anand Gantela is a seasoned professional who has made significant contributions to both print and electronic media. His wealth of experience reflects a deep understanding of the ever-evolving landscape of news reporting.
