Hyderabad: Former minister Etala Rajendar has decided to submit his resignation from the Legislative Assembly and also from the TRS on Friday.
According to his close aides and relatives, Rajendar will join the BJP in New Delhi in the presence of party president J.P. Nadda and other key leaders on June 8. Also joining BJP, along with him, will be former MLA Enugu Ravinder Reddy and Tula Uma, former chairperson of the Karimnagar zilla parishad.
Rajendar returned to Hyderabad after meetings with Nadda, and BJP organisation secretary B.L. Santhosh in the national capital.
He informed his followers and well-wishers that the meetings with BJP leaders were fruitful and he has decided to join the party to fight against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. Some of his constituency leaders advised him to launch a party by roping all those dissatisfied with TRS leadership. They also suggested that in BJP he may not have the freedom to speak against Chandrasekhar Rao, a problem being faced by some senior leaders who had joined the BJP.
Rajendar persuaded them saying that in the given situation, it was better to sail with the BJP which is in power at the Centre and stronger than Congress. He said a new party will be compared to the shortlived Praja Rajyam of Telugu film actor Chiranjeevi and the Telangana Jana Samiti of Prof. Kodandaram.
Meanwhile, it is being rumoured that Rajendar wants to field his wife Jamuna for the Huzurabad byelection. If she loses, his image will not be dented much and if she wins it will underscore his clout.
News from TRS circles is that Chandrashekar Rao would like to expel Rajendar from the party and complain to the Speaker that he had crossed the party line which warrants disqualification from the Assembly.
Interestingly, political analysts and the people are wondering about the outcome if Rajendar submits his resignation to the Speaker and at the same time the TRSLP rakes up its disqualification demand.
Meanwhile, Rajender tendered his resignation from the TRS party on Friday. While addressing reporters, he said, "I have resigned from the TRS party and will submit my resignation as Huzurnagar MLA to the Speaker of Telangana Assembly soon."
"I have been insulted on several occasions. I am a leader in Telangana and not a slave to the TRS Party," he added.
