Forward Block MLA in Telangana defects to TRS

Hyderabad: Within 24 hours of his election to the Telangana Assembly, the lone legislator of the All India Forward Block, K. Chandar Patel, announced that he is switching loyalties to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Chandar, elected from Ramagundam constituency, on Wednesday met TRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's son K.T. Rama Rao and expressed his willingness to join the party.

Chandar defeated his nearest rival S. Satyanarayana of TRS by over 26,000 votes.

Chandar had unsuccessfully contested as TRS candidate in 2009. In 2014, when TRS denied him ticket, he contested as Forward Block candidate but lost to Satyanarayana by 2,200 votes.

This time he contested again as Forward Block candidate. Since his wife died of ill health a few days before the elections, there was a sympathy wave for him in the constituency and many TRS cadres worked for his victory.

TRS has won 88 seats in the 119-member Assembly.