Former Kothagudem MLA and journalist K. Sambasiva Rao was elected State secretary of CPI at the party’s third conference which concluded late on Wednesday night.
He was elected by voting among council members because neither he nor another MLA Palla Venkat Reddy were unrelenting in their demand to hold the post. It led to heated discussions among members till midnight when it was finally decided to go for voting. Mr. Sambasiva Rao polled 59 votes to 45 by Mr. Reddy.
Mr. Rao will take over from Mr. Chada Venkat Reddy who was State secretary for two terms. He was the Assistant Secretary till the conference.
According to the party constitution, any member of CPI could become State secretary for three terms. In this context, Mr. Chada Venkat Reddy sought a third term but Mr. Sambasiva Rao entered the fray. Then, Mr. Reddy expressed desire that he will continue in the post only if he was elected unanimously. If election became inevitable, he offered to step down and proposed the candidature of Mr. Palla Venkat Reddy for the post.
In the midst of high drama as Mr. Sambasiva Rao and Mr. Palla Venkat Reddy vied for the post, the Council decided to go for voting. which the latter won by 14 votes.
