TRS seniors, new faces gear up for showdown
The cultural differences between the Congress and the TRS are also said to have contributed to the hostility between the old and new faces.
Hyderabad: The TRS high command’s diktat to senior leaders and former MLAs to work under the current MLAs is said to have led to a war between the old timers and new faces of the party.
Senior leaders who have been with the party since its inception are irked that the 12 Congress MLAs who defected to the TRS after the December 2018 elections and they have been expressing their distress and displeasure to those close to them.
The cultural differences between the Congress and the TRS are also said to have contributed to the hostility between the old and new faces. Sources in the party say that the old timers and former MLAs are struggling to protect their cadres from being lured by the newly joined MLAs in their respective segments to support them.
The followers of former minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao recently held a meeting and openly said that they have been facing problems with the Paleru MLA K. Upender Reddy who had won against Tummala Rao on a Congress ticket and then joined the TRS.
They alleged that Upender Reddy did not consider them while constituting the party constituency committee and have demanded that the party high command take action against Upender Reddy.
Leaders of the other constituencies in the same district are also facing internal problems with the attitude of MLAs Banoth Haripriya Naik, Vanama Venkateswar Rao and R. Kantha Rao.
Sources in the party revealed that there was not a healthy atmosphere between Nakrekal ex-MLA V. Veeresham and current MLA Ch. Lingaiah in Nalgonda district and there was a visible division of the party cadres into the Veeresham group and the Lingaiah group.
According to sources, there are also differences between MLC Karne Prabhakar and Munugodu ex MLA K. Prabhakar Reddy, and in Vikarabad district between Tandur MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy and MLC Mahender Reddy.
In Kollapur segment in Mahabubnagar, the TRS cadres are said to be divided into two groups: those who support former minister J Krishna Rao and those who support MLA K. Harshvardhan Reddy.
In Yellareddy constituency relations between MLA J. Surender and former MLA E. Ravinder Reddy are said to be strained and there was a clash when it came to appointing the party constituency committees. Sources disclosed that former speaker S. Madhusdhan Chary was upset with the attitude of senior MLA G. Venkatara-mana Reddy as the former had neglecting Mr Chary was upset that senior MLA G. Venkatarama Reddy had neglected him. The situation is heated up in Hyderabad, LB Nagar constituency with differences being intensified between MLA Sudheer Reddy and Ram Mohan Goud.