Two Desam seniors may join TRS

AbdulMuqtadir Syed / Headlines / 19 Comments

After second-rung Telugu Desam (TD) leaders joining TRS and Congress, rumours of TD MLAs Revuri Prakash Reddy and Satyavathi Rathod switching loyalties are doing rounds in Warangal.

Though senior Warangal TD leaders admit in private about the planned flight of Mr Reddy and Ms Rathod to TRS, they are more worried about a mass exodus by party workers after December 31, the deadline for Srikrishna Committee to submit its report on the statehood issue to the Centre.

“Not only Mr Reddy (Narsempet MLA) and Ms Rathod (Dornakal MLA), even Kadiam Srihari is also trying to leave the party,” said a senior TD leader, who attended a meeting with party high command in Hyderabad a couple of days ago. It may be recalled that after Centre’s December 9 statement, Mr Prakash Reddy, who is also TD’s district president, had shot off his ‘resignation’ letter on December 11 to the Assembly Speaker in protest against the turnaround made by TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.

TD sources said that Mr Reddy has been holding internal talks with the cadre loyal to him on the desertion move after the outcome of the bypolls.

On condition of anonymity, the TD leader said that Ms Satyavathi Rathod would also follow suit depending on the move taken by Mr Srihari.

The Dornakal MLA, who actively took part in JAC meetings during the height of the Telangana movement, is known to be a follower of Mr Srihari.

With local bodies’ poll round the corner, TD’s lower rung leaders in mandals are known to be on agitation path as they are wary of facing the rural masses on the party’s uncertain policy on statehood issue.

As of now, TD has 350 sarpanches, 300 MPTCs, 22 ZPTCs and four corporators in Warangal.

However, they are expected to wait in the wings until December 31, when Congress’ stand on Telangana issue would be known.

Sources said based on the Congress’s next move after the submission of Srikrishana report, it could be either advantage to TRS or Congress as regard getting Warangal TD activists in large number into their fold.

The TD’s district unit is already in shambles due to infighting among Mr Prakash Reddy, Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Mr Srihari.

The elevation of Ms Gundu Sudha Rani as Rajya Sabha member too has not been of much help, as TD leaders claimed that after she became MP, three corporators joined TRS.

Then, one former TD corporator, N. Nareder, who joined TRS recently, had spent heavily to put up flexi boards of Ms Gundu Sudha Rani during her arrival as Rajaya Sabha MP to Warangal for the first time.

TD sources now claim that the party cannot be rescued unless the party high command gives a go ahead for setting up of an independent Telangana Telugu Desam unit.

Source:DeccanChronicle

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