Another half-a-dozen MLAs are in touch with the TRS
The TD has 15 MLAs and 4 MLCs in Telangana. With three MLAs joining from the city and Ranga Reddy, the TRS has got a big boost in the city since it has just one MLA in Hyderabad and two in Ranga Reddy district. (Photo: DC/File)
Hyderabad: In a major jolt to the Telugu Desam in Telangana, four MLAs and an MLC of the party met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday and decided to join the Telangana Rashtra Samiti.
TD MLAs T. Srinivas Yadav (Sanathnagar), Teegala Krishna Reddy (Maheshwaram), Tolk-anti Prakash Goud (Rajendranagar), Challa Dharma Reddy (Parkal) and Nizamabad MLC V. Gangadhar Goud met the Chief Minister at his Begumpet camp office and expressed their support to the TRS government. This will be a setback for AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, as the five decided to quit on the eve of the TD’s proposed Bus Yatra from Nalgonda on October 10 to expose the failures of the TRS.
The Telugu Desam MLAs who quit the party said that they were fed up with the anti-Telangana and anti-TRS stance of Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, curtailment of power supply to Telangana and Mr Naidu’s son, Mr Nara Lokesh, leading the party in Telangana by ignoring local senior party leaders. They promised to extend full support to Mr Rao in the making of ‘Bangaru Telangana’.
According to the TD legislators, another half-a-dozen MLAs are in touch with the TRS leadership and they too will quit the TD soon. The five legislators will join the TRS at a public meeting to be organised for them soon in Hyderabad.
The TD has 15 MLAs and 4 MLCs in Telangana. With three MLAs joining from the city and Ranga Reddy, the TRS has got a big boost in the city since it has just one MLA in Hyderabad and two in Ranga Reddy district.
Sources say that Mr Rao is encouraging defections to wipe out the TD in Telangana since it continues to have fairly good leadership and cadre base, and also to strengthen the TRS before the GHMC elections.
“We quit Telugu Desam since we were fed up with Chandrababu Naidu’s anti-Telangana stance and putting obstacles for power supply and causing problems for people. How can we hurt our own people?” asked Mr Srinivas Yadav after meeting the Chief Minister.
Mr Yadav was also upset with Mr Naidu for appointing Mr Lokesh to take care of party affairs in Telangana. “Chandrababu Naidu told us Lokesh Babu would take care of Telangana region as if there are no leaders in Telangana. We could not bear the humiliation and anti-Telangana policies and decided to quit,” he said.
Mr Yadav also alleged that Mr Naidu had asked them to step up attacks on the TRS government, undertake the Bus Yatra and create problems for the government.
“The TRS government is just three months old. How can we blame the government for the power crisis? Is it not the previous Congress and Telugu Desam governments’ fault? The Telangana movement started only because the region was deprived of water, power, employment and development,” he remarked.
Referring to the power crisis, he alleged that Mr Naidu had deliberately delayed inauguration of the Krishnapatnam power project to deny power to Telangana.
“Naidu tried everything against Telangana. After bifurcation, he demanded a common capital and later, Governor’s control of law and order among others,” the legislator said.
Mr Krishna Reddy said that he had decided to join the TRS as “Telangana children” and strengthen the hand of Mr Rao. Mr Goud said he would extend all support for the development of Telangana and Nizamabad.
( Source : dc correspondent )
Next Story
