Differences between Damodara Rajanarasimha, Vivek become topic of discussion

Differences between Ministers Damodara Rajanarasimha and G Vivek Venkat Swamy have raised concerns among Congress leaders in erstwhile Medak. Lack of coordination and separate activities are being seen as a setback for the party ahead of MPTC and ZPTC elections

Sangareddy: At a time when the State Election Commission was preparing to conduct MPTC and ZPTC elections, lack of unity between Ministers Damodara Rajanarasimha and G Vivek Venkat Swamy has left Congress Party leaders and cadres worried in the erstwhile Medak district. Health Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha is a senior minister from the erstwhile Medak, while Labour Minister Vivek was appointed as district incharge minister in June 2025. Though they moved closely during the early days of Vivek’s appointment, it appeared that the leaders were not seeing eye to eye now.

During the market committee chairman swearing-in ceremony held in Patancheru recently, Vivek came to the venue after Damodara Rajanarasimha left. Though a section of Congress leaders said that Vivek came a bit late as he was occupied with some other work, the Congress cadres who attended the meeting were seen openly discussing the differences between them.

Vivek also skipped the Sangareddy Congress political affairs committee meeting convened by Damodara Rajanarasimha to prepare the party cadres for the ensuing MPTC and ZPTC elections. The absence of the incharge minister at the meeting also became a topic of discussion among the leaders. Not only these two instances, the leaders have not attended meetings together in the last six months. The two senior leaders have inspected damaged crops in the erstwhile Medak district separately.

Organising review meetings together has become a rare sight in any of these three districts. While Vivek was mostly focussing on Siddipet and Medak districts, Damodara Rajanarasimha was focusing on Sangareddy. Even when Vivek visits Sangareddy, he avoids visiting Andole constituency, represented by the Health Minister. With MPTC and ZPTC elections not far away, the cadres are of the opinion that the differences will cost the party dearly in the elections.