K Chandrasekhar Rao out to marginalise Telugu Desam

The TD, which has a fairly good base in Telangana, is top on Mr Rao’s list and he is going about it meticulously through his old contacts.

The entry into TRS of Khammam TD strong man Tummala Nageswara Rao recently and three TD legislators on Wednesday is just the beginning and more defections are expe-cted in the days to come if the recently joined TD leaders and some TRS leaders are to be believed.

The TRS’ strength in the Assembly has shot up to 70 from the 63 it won in the recent general elections due to the defections.

Several MLCs too defected from the Congress and one from the TD, strengthening the TRS in both Houses of Legislature.

The TRS plans to margi-nalise the TD in its 15 constituencies and lure party leaders into its fold, especially in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts.

“Naidu’s anti-Telangana stance and imposing Lokesh offended the Tela-ngana TD leaders. The Telangana leaders are being marginalised in the TD and they have little say.

Wait and see, there will be more developments,” said Santhnagar MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who quit the TD and joined the TRS on Wednesday.

Transport minister P. Mahender Reddy said that there was no place for Andhra parties (Telugu Desam) in Telangana anymore. “We will drive away Andhra parties. TD leaders like A.

Revanth Reddy and E. Dayakar Rao are singing M Naidu song to gain importance. Telan-gana people will not accept an Andhra CM anymore. Lokesh and Sharmila have no place in Telangana and they will be driven out,” he said at a function in which several Congress and Telugu Desam leaders from Ibrahimpatnam and other places joined the TRS.

If the just-joined TD leaders are to be believed, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had planned the bus yatra to divert the attention of people from the TRS plenary and public meeting, which was initially scheduled on October 11 and 12.

However, a wily Mr Rao reportedly spoke to the TD legislators and asked them to join the TRS before the public meeting and on the eve of the TD bus yatra.

Meanwhile the Cyclone threat led to postponement of the plenary and public meeting by a week. In fact, Mr Srinivas Yadav had planned to join the TRS on the eve of the GHMC polls but brought it forward on the request of Mr Rao.