In the suspension order issued on Saturday, Chinna Reddy stated that the disciplinary action committee had decided to suspend Mallanna for continuing his tirade against the party despite the show-cause notice.
Published Mar 01, 2025 | 1:47 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 01, 2025 | 1:47 PM
Teenmaar Mallanna. (Facebook)
Synopsis: Congress MLC Teenmar Mallanna was suspended on 1 March for anti-party activities after failing to respond to a show-cause notice issued in February. Mallanna, critical of the party’s caste census report, burned a copy and made inflammatory comments.
Controversial BC leader and Congress MLC Teenmar Mallanna was suspended from the party on Saturday, 1 March, for engaging in anti-party activities.
TPCC Disciplinary Action Committee Chairman Dr G Chinna Reddy issued the suspension order against Mallanna, also known as Chintapandu Naveen Kumar.
The action followed Mallanna’s failure to respond to a show-cause notice issued to him on 5 February for “indulging in anti-party activities.” In the notice, Chinna Reddy had sought an explanation by 12 February.
In the suspension order issued on Saturday, Chinna Reddy stated that the disciplinary action committee had decided to suspend Mallanna for continuing his tirade against the party despite the show-cause notice.
In the show-cause notice issued on 5 February, Chinna Reddy noted that although Mallanna was a member of the legislative council representing the Congress, he had violated the norms, guidelines, and procedures outlined in the party’s constitution.
“Everyone in the state has appreciated the efforts of the Congress government in conducting the caste census and implementing the sub-categorization of SCs. However, you are pursuing your own agenda, disregarding the party’s interests. The Congress party belongs to every individual, irrespective of caste, region, or religion,” Reddy said.
After the TPCC issued the show-cause notice on 5 February, Mallanna reacted sharply. He questioned, “Whom are you giving notice to? If you issue a notice to me, it is as good as issuing one to the BCs (backward classes), on whose behalf I am fighting.”
The Congress took a serious view of Mallanna burning a copy of the caste census report after its release in the Assembly, as well as his inflammatory comments about the Reddy community at a meeting held by leaders of all backward classes in Warangal.
After burning the copy of the caste census report, Mallanna claimed that the report was skewed in favour of the upper castes. “The report underrepresents the BC population and overrepresents other castes (OCs). I am fighting for justice for the BCs. I want the party to align with Rahul Gandhi’s vision of conducting a caste census at the national level to ensure justice for the BCs,” he said.
A defiant Mallanna stated that he would not bow to anyone simply because a show-cause notice was served and that no one could intimidate him.
“The TPCC should issue show-cause notices to those responsible for producing a caste census that is biased against the BCs. Just because the party has issued a notice does not mean it will silence me or the BCs. If I have to respond to the notice, I will first consult with representatives of BC organizations and act according to their wishes,” he said.
Two days after the show-cause notice was issued, a delegation of Reddy community leaders lodged a complaint with the police in Adilabad. They accused Mallanna of attempting to create a divide between the BCs and Reddys.
At the state level, Reddy association leaders recently submitted a memorandum to the DGP in Hyderabad.
Party leaders, particularly those from the Reddy community, are up in arms against Mallanna, as he has become a vocal critic of the Reddys. They believe he is trying to consolidate BC support by targeting the Reddy community.
Mallanna once remarked that A Revanth Reddy would be the last OC (Other Caste) chief minister of the state, seemingly positioning himself as a potential future chief minister.
Mallanna, hailing from Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district in Telangana, has been associated with several parties throughout his career. He contested the 2015 Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam graduate MLC constituency election as a Congress candidate but lost.
In 2019, he contested as an independent in the by-election for the Huzurnagar Assembly seat but was again defeated. In March 2021, he contested as an independent for the Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam graduate MLC seat but lost to the TRS (now BRS) candidate.
Mallanna joined the BJP on 7 December 2021 but resigned and joined the Congress on 8 November 2023. He was appointed as the Campaign Committee Convenor for the 2023 Telangana Assembly Elections.
In April 2024, the Congress fielded him as its candidate for the Warangal-Nalgonda-Khammam graduate MLC by-election, which he won in June 2024.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
