Beleaguered Motkupalli leans towards Pink Party

Hyderabad: Apparently indicating where he wants to chart his future political course, TDP Telangana leader Motkupalli Narasimhulu created a flutter on Thursday by saying openly that it would be better if AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu merged the Telangana unit of the party in the TRS. Narasimhulu said that this was better than facing the ignominy of leaders of different hues saying that the Telugu Desam Party has become more or less extinct in the state, with most of its leaders leaving the party in search of greener pastures.

Narasimhulu, who lost Assembly election to Congress' Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in Madhira in Khammam district in 2014, had pinned hopes on the TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu to reward him with the post of a governor using his influence with the BJP. But having waited for three years, he does not seem to entertain any such hopes and now he apparently does not see any reason why he should continue in a party that is fast disappearing.

Narasimhulu, who remained a bitter critic of TRS chief K Chadrasekhar Rao till 2014, chose the occasion of the 22nd death anniversary of party founder president the late NTR to voice his opinion on his party, after paying tributes to the departed leader at the NTR Ghat. 

He expressed sorrow that Naidu could not make to NTR Ghat to pay respects to the party founder and that the party might get some traction in Telangana if Naidu tours Telangana districts and since it was not happening, the party which polled 22 per cent of votes in 2014 election, was now shutting shop.

He said that since the party was on an inexorable slide in Telangana in the recent times, he appealed to Chandrababu Naidu to merge the party with TRS. Chandrasekhar Rao grew as a leader from TDP and there should be no hesitation for Telugu Desam to merge in the TRS.

Appearing to understand the position of Chandrababu Naidu, he said that the chief minister was finding it difficult to take care of the party in the wake of the fast-changing political scenario in the state. In a routine exercise of trying to take the sting out of dissident's statements, TDP Telangana president L Ramana said whatever Narasimhulu had said were his personal views. The party chief alone is competent to make policy decisions.

It is not the first time that Narasimulu had voiced such opinions. Earlier he had said it would be in fitness of things of the TDP joined hands with TRS fighting the next elections. Opposing the view, TDP leader A Revanth Reddy left the TDP and joined the Congress.

TDP sources said Motkupalli had made up his mind to leave the TDP since he sees no future in continuing in it. They said Narsimulu has been in touch with TRS leaders and might join the pink panthers within two months’ time. In a tongue-in-cheek reaction to Motkupalli's comments, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari said that he welcomes him. He recalled joining the TDP when the late NTR gave a call for all to join the TDP for development of the state and now TRS chief Chandrasekhar Rao was giving the same call, implying that Narasimhulu should join the TRS.