Hyderabad: Having succeeded in wooing a sizeable number of TD MLAs over, TRS party managers now appear to have set their sights on at least four Congress MLAs and started contacting them.
One of the TRS leaders involved in the “mission” told DC on Tuesday that they have established contact with “a few Congress MLAs who are thoroughly dissatisfied with the way the party has been functioning in the last few months”.
This leader said that even the Congress leaders have now realised they will not get reelected in the next elections due to poor party management as well as people turning towards the TRS.
On social media, among the names of Congress MLAs seemingly inclined towards the TRS is one of a former minister from Mahbubnagar district.
The reference was said to be towards Gadwal MLA D.K. Aruna, MLA C. Rammohan Reddy, newly-elected MLC from the Mahbubnagar C. Damodara Reddy and Alampur MLA S.A. Sampath Kumar.
However, these four leaders on Tuesday strongly denied that they would be joining the TRS. “I won’t even hesitate to beg in the streets, rather than join the TRS. I will remain in the Congress and fight for my constituency’s rights,” Ms Aruna said.
Act fast: TDLP to Speaker asked to decide fast must to act
Newly-appointed TDLP leader A. Revanth Reddy, along with other party MLAs on Tuesday met Assembly Speaker S. Madhusudana Chary and requested him to expeditiously dispose of their petitions seeking disqualification of 10 MLAs who left the TD for the TRS.
Mr Revanth Reddy told the Speaker that it was not proper to consider the merger plea by these 10 MLAs as it was not valid under the provisions of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.
“Since the parent party has not decided to merge itself into the TRS, it’s not proper for a few TD MLAs to decide to do so, claiming two-thirds strength. In a similar situation in UP, BSP leader Mayawati approached the Supreme Court and got favourable orders against such a move by her party MLAs,” Mr Revanth Reddy told newsmen after meeting the Speaker.
He urged Mr Chary to dispose of the pending petitions before the commencement of the Budget session of the Assembly in March.
