The ticket distribution in Andhra Pradesh took a bizarre turn with angry TRS workers bashing up party's Lok Sabha candidate from Secunderabad Sama Venkat Reddy at the party's state headquarters today.
The workers were angry that a new person in the party, who never served the party in the past, was given the party ticket.
The situation took a turn for the worse after Venkat Reddy allegedly told his detractors that he paid Rs 10 crore to the party president for the ticket and they physically targeted him. The party workers also publicly vowed to defeat all such candidates who were undeservingly given tickets.
The public disclosure that the TRS leadership was taking money worth crores of rupees from the aspirants has added to the embarrassment of the party.
In another incident, angry TRS workers attacked the home of party MP from Hanmakonda Vinod Kumar, demanding ticket for their leader N Venkateshwarulu from Bhupalapally Assembly constituency. But as the ticket was already allocated to another candidate, they ransacked the home and damaged the furniture and other property.
Thousands of party workers were staying outside the residence of TDP President Chandrababu Naidu, demanding tickets for their leaders. As a precaution security was tightened at Naidu's residence in jubilee hills.
A group of more than hundred workers tried to gate-crash in to Naidu's residence to press their demand that Balakonda constituency in Nizamabad should not be given to the TRS but party's senior leader Annapurna should be fielded from there. The police had to use mild force to disperse them. Another ticket seeker Krishna Reddy from Gadwal in Mahbubnagar walked out in a huff threatening to contest as an independent.
Even the ruling Congress was not spared. Deputy speaker of assembly Dr Kutulahamma staged a sit-in protest outside the Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's residence, alleging that injustice was done to her by not giving an Assembly ticket.
She blamed two senior leaders from Chittoor district for denial of ticket to her.
Praja Rajyam party workers have also gone on rampage at many place after several aspirants did not get the ticket and some other people were given the ticket.
