Telangana Congress candidate Jeevan Reddy slaps woman after she says will vote for 'flower' symbol

New Delhi, May 05 : A senior Congress leader in Telangana has come under attack on social media after he was captured in a video slapping a woman after she allegedly expressed her intention to vote for the 'flower' symbol in the May 13 election.

Tatiparthi Jeevan Reddy, who has been fielded by Congress from Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, slapped her during an election campaign in the constituency on Friday.

The woman was reportedly a beneficiary of the rural employment guarantee scheme. The incident took place when Reddy was campaigning in a village in the Armur Assembly segment.

The woman had previously voted for the Congress in recent Assembly elections but changed her political leaning reportedly over dissatisfaction over the absence of pension benefits.

"I neither have a house nor do I get a pension. I told him (Nizamabad Congress MP candidate Jeevan Reddy) to please show mercy on me. Then he assured me by saying," Dorasani (queen) you would get it". By showing that I was slapped, isn't this defaming me?", said the farmer woman, according to news agency ΑΝΙ.

"Shameless and disgusting," a user on X (earlier Twitter) said.

"I don't know what is more disgusting! Nizamabad MP Congress candidateJeevan Reddy slapping an old woman or all the other men standing around and laughing like it is some kind of a joke," said another user.

Armur is one of the seven Assembly segments within the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat which will undergo polling on May 13.