It’s nearly 15 days since MLC election results under local bodies quota were announced in Telangana. The ruling TRS made a clean sweep by winning al the six MLC seats that went for polls and bagged remaining six MLC seats unanimously.
Despite the stupendous victory, the MLC results have failed to douse the fire in TRS due to incidents of cross-voting witnessed in elections.
The TRS is yet to recover from the large-scale cross-voting of TRS voters (MPTCs, ZPTCs etc) in favour of Congress in Khammam.
Although TRS candidate Tata Madhu won with a clear majority, nearly 300 TRS voters resorted to cross-voting and voted for Congress.
TRS leaders in Khammam district are now targeting Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, known to be the close friend of YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh YS Jaganmohan Reddy, for cross-voting.
Pongulet won as Lok Sabha member from Khammam from YSRCP in 2014 Lok Sabha polls even after bifurcation of AP.
However, he joined TRS soon after on the advice of Jagan as Jagan decided to close YSRCP in Telangana to focus on Andhra Pradesh.
TRS chief and Telangana CM KCR, his son KTR made several promises to Ponguleti while inducting him into TRS but none were fulfilled.
KCR denied him party ticket for Khammam Lok Sabha seat despite Ponguleti being sitting MP. KCR gave ticket to Nama Nageshwar Rao who joined TRS from TDP just before Lok Sabha polls in April 2019.
KCR denied ticket to Ponguleti even in 2018 December Assembly polls promising him ticket in Lok Sabha polls, which too was not fulfilled.
Ponguleti was later promised MLC nomination and cabinet minister post which too were ignored. Ponguleti is very upset at KCR and KTR and staying away from party activities.
At this stage, MLC polls came and Ponguleti reportedly took revenge on TRS by asking his supporters (MPTCs, ZPTCs etc in Khammam) to vote for Congress. TRS Khammam leaders reportedly submitted all the proofs to KCR and KTR to prove these allegations against Ponguleti.
It appears that Ponguleti will soon be removed from TRS. If not, Ponguleti himself is planning to quit TRS and join Congress.
