Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy has submitted his reply to the showcause notice issued by the party for indiscipline.

The Bhongir MP submitted his reply to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on November 1, denying the allegations made against him.

Congress general secretary Tariq Anwar had issued notice to the Lok Sabha member on October 22 asking him to reply within 10 days.

The notice was issued after a voice recording went viral on social media in which Venkat Reddy is heard asking a Congress leader to support BJP candidate and his brother Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy in Munugode by-election.

Venkat Reddy is understood to have told the party leadership in his reply that it was a “fake” audio.

The MP reportedly wrote that he is a senior leader in the party who has been serving the organisation for the last 35 years. He complained that he was not given due importance in the party.

A video clip had also gone viral a few days ago in which Venkat Reddy is heard predicting that Congress will lose the by-election to Munugode Assembly seat.

Venkat Reddy, who is the star campaigner of the Congress party, did not campaign for the party in Munugode, where polling was held on Thursday.

Venkat Reddy’s brother Rajagopal Reddy had resigned as MLA and also quit Congress to join the BJP. He contested as BJP candidate.

There have been speculations in recent weeks that Venkat Reddy will also follow his brother and switch loyalties to the BJP.

The audio and video of the MP have surfaced days after he made it clear that he will not campaign in Munugode.

His action had embarrassed the party when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra was passing through Telangana.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had told reporters in Hyderabad on November 1 that if any party member crosses ‘Lakshman Rekha’, the party will definitely take action.

In a huge embarrassment to the Congress party in Telangana a day before the entry of party leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in the state, party MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy predicted that Congress will lose the by-election to Munugode Assembly seat.

Venkat Reddy, who is the star campaigner of the Congress party, went on to predict that his brother and BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy will win the November 3 by-poll.

A video of the Bhongir MP’s interaction with some people went viral on social media on Saturday even as the party leaders were engaged in hectic campaigning in Munugode and were preparing to welcome Rahul Gandhi, whose Yatra is set to enter the state.

The video surfaced hours after an audio clip of Venkat Reddy went viral in which he is heard urging local Congress leaders to support his brother.

In the video clip, Venkat Reddy defended his decision not to campaign for Congress party candidate in the by-election.

“Why should I campaign for the party in an election which it is going to lose,” he is heard asking. He predicted that Rajagopal Reddy will win the by-poll.

Venkat Reddy also made some comments which indicate that he is not bothered about what action the party leadership takes against him for his open defiance. “I have been in position for 25 years. I won elections five times. This is enough for me,” he said.

Rajagopal Reddy had resigned as MLA and also quit Congress to join the BJP. The saffron party has fielded him as its candidate in the by-election.

There have been speculations in recent weeks that Venkat Reddy will also follow his brother and switch loyalties to BJP.

The audio and video of the MP have surfaced days after he made it clear that he will not campaign in Munugode where Congress has fielded Palvai Sravanthi as its candidate.

“There is no need for a ‘home guard’ like me there. Only ‘SP level’ leaders will go there,” the MP quipped when asked if he would campaign for the Congress party in the by-election.

“A leader said that he will bring the party to power even if 100 cases are booked against him. He will go there. I am an ordinary worker of the Congress party,” he said.

Venkat Reddy did not name the leader but he was apparently referring to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy.

After Rajagopal Reddy’s resignation, TPCC chief Revanth Reddy had lashed out at him and also made certain remarks against his brother Venkat Reddy. Revanth Reddy’s supporter Addanki Dayakar had made a bitter attack on the MP and made ‘home guard’ and ‘bartender’ jibes.

Last year, Venkat Reddy had criticized the party’s central leadership over the appointment of Revanth Reddy as TPCC chief. Venkat Reddy, who was also one of the aspirants for the post, made serious allegations against some central leaders of the party and had vowed not to step into state party headquarters Gandhi Bhavan.

The Bhongir MP, however, had later started participating in party activities and was seen with Revanth Reddy on a few occasions. In April, the party’s central leadership appointed him the star campaigner.

Meanwhile, Congress MP and former MP Uttam Kumar Reddy refused to comment on Venkat Reddy’s defiance. He said the party’s central leadership will deal with the issue.

Congress MP and the party’s star campaigner Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Monday made it clear that he will not campaign in the Munugode Assembly constituency where his brother Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy is contesting the by-election as a BJP candidate.

Venkat Reddy made the remarks while addressing reporters at Gandhi Bhavan, the state headquarters of Congress party, after casting his vote in the AICC presidential election.

“There is no need for a home guard like me there. Only SP level leaders will go there,” the MP quipped when asked if he would campaign for the Congress party in the by-election.

“A leader said that he will bring the party to power even if 100 cases are booked against him. He will go there. I am an ordinary worker of the Congress party,” he said.

Venkat Reddy did not name the leader but he was apparently referring to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy.

The by-election in Munugode, Nalgonda district, is scheduled to be held on November 3. The vacancy arose after Rajagopal Reddy resigned as MLA and also quit Congress party to join the BJP.

There have been speculations for the last several weeks that like his brother, Venkat Reddy would also switch loyalties to the BJP.

A member of Lok Sabha from Bhongir constituency, Venkat Reddy is likely to leave for a foreign tour to skip the by-election. He evaded reply when asked as to when he would be leaving.A

Though Venkat Reddy was named as star campaigner by the party’s leadership in April, he has been keeping himself away from party activities in Munugode. He skipped Congress meetings, rallies and roadshows in the constituency.

After Rajagopal Reddy’s resignation, TPCC chief Revanth Reddy had lashed out at him and also made certain remarks against his brother Venkat Reddy. Revanth Reddy’s supporter Addanki Dayakar had made a bitter attack on the MP and made ahome guard’ and abartender’ jibes.

Revanth Reddy had later apologised to Venkat Reddy and asked the party disciplinary committee to take necessary actions against Dayakar for his comments.

Venkat Reddy had criticized the party’s central leadership over the appointment of Revanth Reddy as TPCC chief in June last year. Venkat Reddy, who was also one of the aspirants for the post, made serious allegations against some central leaders of the party and had vowed not to step into state party headquarters Gandhi Bhavan.

The Bhongir MP, however, had later started participating in party activities and was seen with Revanth Reddy on a few occasions.

The Congress High Command has taken a crucial decision with respect to the party in Telangana. According to credible sources to the national party, the high command under the president-ship of Rahul Gandhi has decided to replace the current TPCC President. Uttam Kumar Reddy who is the TPCC President will soon be replaced by Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who is often dubbed as the firebrand of Telangana Congress.

Komatireddy Venkat Reddy who is one among the Komatireddy brothers is currently representing the Nalgonda Constituency in the Telangana Legislative Assembly as MLA. He is also the Deputy Floor Leader of the Telangana Congress Legislative Party.

The decisions come after the Congress High Command observed that Uttam Kumar Reddy lacks the x-factor to corner KCR. ‘Though Uttam Kumar Reddy is a good leader, he lacks the charisma to move large crowds. When KCR and KTR fire their missiles against him, he fails to repel them back efficiently.

Many Congress leaders in the party’s internal meeting expressed that the recent ‘Party Tours’ did not live up to the mark. The way Uttam Kumar Reddy handled the incidents post the dismissal of Komatireddy and Sampath Kumar form the TS Assembly failed to appease major party factions’, said a political analyst close to the Congress party.