Hyderabad: Telangana TD has been once again hit by defection, with the party’s Qutbullahpur MLA K.P. Vivekananda Goud switching sides over to the ruling TRS on Tuesday. “It’s a homecoming of sorts, and in tune with people’s wishes. I am joining TRS for the sake of development of the constituency. The unprecedented victory of the TRS is proof of the people’s faith in KCR and his programmes,” Mr Goud said, giving the reasons for his decision.
He said that voters, irrespective of caste, region or religion, were looking up to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, and not the TRS candidate. “As a responsible citizen and MLA, I have to go by public sentiment and have decided to work under KCR’s leadership. In 2019 too, the TRS will return to power,” he said. Mr Goud said that absence of TD national president N. Chandrababu Naidu is being felt in the party’s TS unit.
On Tuesday, he was inducted into the party with a pink khandwa by Mr Rao at the CM’s camp office in the presence of Kukatpally MLA Madhavaram Krishna Rao and others. Mr Goud’s defection has reduced the TD strength to almost half in the TS Assembly, he being the seventh MLA from the party to join the TRS out of the 15 MLAs originally elected in the 2014 General Elections. Meanwhile, Mandadi Srinivas Rao, the lone TD corporator from KPHB division denied rumours that he would be joining the TRS.
