TDP strips Revanth off party post

R Krishnaiah likely to be floor leader

Hyderabad: The high drama centring around A Revanth Reddy, working president of Telangana unit of TDP, seems to be coming to an end with the TDP deciding to strip him off the post of floor leader in the State Assembly with immediate effect.

T-TDP president L Ramana after consulting with party national president N Chandrababu Naidu has issued instructions that Revanth was not authorised to convene the meeting of legislature party on Thursday. The Assembly is slated to meet on Friday for the monsoon session.

According to sources, BC leader R Krishnaiah is likely to be the next floor leader. Letters have been sent to party MLAs R Krishnaiah, S Venkata Veeraiah and other senior leaders informing them about the development and that the legislature party meeting would be held at NTR Trust Bhavan.

Party insiders say that Chandrababu Naidu is also unlikely to meet Revanth. They said that so far Revanth had not given any explanation about his “anti-party” activities.

It was also decided to scrap the second in- command (working president’s) post in TTDP. A resolution seeking expulsion of Revanth Reddy from the party has been sent to the party high command.

Talking to The Hans India, Ramana said TDP never had a working president but keeping in view the developments that taken place after the formation of Telangana state, the party high command recognising the leadership qualities of Revanth created the post.

All the TDP leaders, including himself recommended Revanth’s name for the post in 2015 with the hope that he would strengthen the organisation in Telangana.

Ramana said the party already sought explanation from Revanth on the speculation that he met Congress leaders in New Delhi.

Since Revanth during a meeting with his followers on Sunday said that rumours were being spread about his quitting TDP, the party has asked Revanth to serve legal notices against Congress leaders who have been openly claiming that he had met Rahul Gandhi and was joining the party on November 9. But Revanth has not reacted to this, Ramana said.

Sources close to Revanth have made it clear that the Kodangal MLA has made up his mind to join Congress. He was only waiting for Naidu to come back so that he could inform him and quit the party.

Meanwhile, TRS seems to be following the strategy of “strike it when the iron is hot” by poaching the TDP leaders and followers of the Telugu Desam leader.

The TRS leaders particularly the ministers are busy in the ‘Operation Kodangal’. They want to ensure that the second-level cadre in the TDP leader’s constituency joins TRS.

“These TDP leaders will not be willing to join Congress and if Revanth wishes to join that party the second-level cadre would look at alternative and our party would become a natural choice,” said a senior leader.

While several leaders, including ZPTC Anusuya Balsingh Naik and 12 other public representatives joined TRS on Sunday, several workers from the Kodangal constituency who reportedly are Revanth’s followers joined TRS in Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday.

The leaders who joined TRS include Kodangal headquarters ZPTC Sharanamma, S Hanumantu Reddy, mandal party president from Daulatabad and Kosgi mandal and other local public representatives.