Hyderabad: Race to poach in top gear

Hyderabad: A mad race to poach leaders from one party to the other is on in Telangana at a fast pace. Three key persons, T Harish Rao from BRS, Eatala Rajender from BJP and TPCC president A Revanth Reddy are making all-out efforts to identify leaders who are sulking in rival parties and poach them.

This exercise by rival parties is keeping all the three key parties in the state on tenterhooks as the leadership has additional job to keep tab on every leader and his moves. After successfully poaching a senior Congress leader form Medak Yerpula Narottam, who had contested and lost from Zaheerabad Assembly Constituency for two times, the BRS has been going aggressive to poach more Congress and BJP leaders. Each of these three parties wants to get as many leaders as possible much ahead of the poll notification.

But then the problem is that those who express their willingness to join the party expect a ticket to contest the elections. This may upset the apple cart of some of the aspirants. How these parties will handle such a situation needs to be seen.

Sources in the BRS said KCR had identified some influential leaders in the Congress and BJP who have a hold on certain constituencies and make an impact in the poll outcome. Harish Rao, it is said, has been contacting such leaders.

The latest name that is making rounds is that of the suspended BJP MLA from Goshamahal Raja Singh. Raja Singh was suspended from the BJP for certain remarks he had made against the Muslim minorities. He was later arrested and sent to jail. He is now on bail and met Harish Rao on Friday. Though Raja Singh later told the media that he was not quitting the BJP and would stay out of contest if the BJP does not revoke his suspension, sources say, he has been in touch with the BRS for long. Harish Rao, it is being said, is also in touch with many sulking senior BJP leaders and have been keeping away from participating in the party activities in the recent times. Some Congress leaders from Nalgonda, Khammam and Mahbubnagar, who were not happy with Revanth’s leadership, were also being contacted. Most of these leaders, BRS claims, were inclined to join the BRS anytime.