In a strategic move, Leader of Opposition in Telangana assembly K Jana Reddy strikes back his influence by engineering crucial `defections’ from the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to Congress in his native Nalgonda district. At a time most influential sections in Congress party are seeking to replace him from party’s leadership position in the assembly, accusing him of `soft’ towards TRS aiming at garbing bright political entry to his son through ruling party, Jana Reddy had given a fitting reply silently.
The Congress party succeeded to maintain its hold only in erstwhile Nalgonda district politics, while in all other areas TRS practically riding over other parties, attracting massive `defections’. In Nalgonda also, three-time MP from Nalgonda Gutta Sudhakara Reddy was lured by TRS, besides few other leaders. However, it remained as a bastion for Congress, which succeeded in winning MLC seat from local bodies’ constituency here. It is the only MLC seat Congress had won in Telangana.
The district also flooded with several heavy weights of Congress. They include Pradesh Congress President N Uttam Kumar Reddy, resourceful legislator brothers Komatireddy Venkata Reddy and Rajagopal Reddy, who are aspiring to lead the party in the state.
Jana Reddy is the senior most leader in the party, having over four decades of ministerial experience and no leader in the united Andhra Pradesh state had such long standing ministerial status. In an unfavourable environment within the party, Jana Reddy knows of playing cards coolly, caused a major set-back to TRS.
This may be a first time that such a large number left the ruling party, after it forming first government in the newly formed state two and half years ago. Those left TRS and joined Congress in the presence of Jana Reddy, include Zilla Parishad vice chairperson K Linga Reddy, Peddapur PACS chairman T Srikar Reddy along with 11 village sarpanchs, 8 MPTCs and a large number of TRS workers.
Speaking on the occasion, Jana Reddy said that the TRS failed to implement its poll promises and hence the people are fed up the KCR rule. He said that the people are discontent with the TRS rule and are join the Congress to fight against the anti-people TRS rule.
In a related development in Karimnagar, a large number of minority leaders from TRS joined the Congress party in the presence of party vice president and former MP Ponnam Prabhakar and city president K Rajasekhar. Prabhakar said that the TRS government has ditched every section of the society by making false promises. He said that the TRS’ promises to minority community turned out to be fake as KCR failed to fulfil any promise made to the state’s minority community.
