BJP to make most of TDP's fall?

Warangal: There were days when majority of erstwhile Warangal leaders clad in vivid yellow starched shirts gleefully waving to the people. Gone are those days as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) appears to be a pale shadow of its past glory.

Although it has faced several crises in its 37-year history, it's indeed a lean period for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Telangana. Even when it wilted under the 'onslaught' of Congress led by Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, the party remained substantially intact.

Never before the party was in such an identity crisis as it has been today.

Although the desertions started before the 2014 general elections with senior leaders like Kadiyam Srihari choosing to join Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the phenomenon was in full force after the pink party wrested power from the Congress which failed to project itself effectively as the party that actually gave Telangana.

Even after a host of leaders crossed over to ruling TRS, the TDP which is known as a cadre-based party continued to be a potent force in erstwhile Warangal district.

However, desertion of Errabelli Dayakar Rao, one of the mainstays of the party at the State level, was seen as the 'last straw that broke the camel's back'.

Although senior leaders like Revuri Prakash Reddy held the flock together this far, TDP losing power in Andhra Pradesh seems to be a death knell for the party.

With the Congress continuing to wobble under the bombardment of the TRS, the BJP seems to be the only resort for the TDP. Of course, it's no different for the Congress as well.

If one goes by the words of BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao, a sizable number of TDP and Congress leaders are set to join their party.

It may be recalled here that Rajya Sabha member Garikapati Mohan Rao, one of the most trusted lieutenants of TD chief N Chandrababu Naidu, had joined the saffron party last month.

With the likes of former minister E Peddi Reddy and former Hanamkonda MP Chada Suresh Reddy already in its kitty, the BJP at the moment has its nose ahead in bolstering its base in the erstwhile Warangal district.

"Albeit Telangana didn't have a best of monsoon this year, the BJP's lotus is set for a massive bloom. With the TDP is seemingly sinking into oblivion bit by bit, it's no surprise that its leaders having a thought of joining the BJP.

On the other hand, the Congress which lost Parliament and Assembly elections miserably is in chaos with its MLAs en masse defecting to ruling TRS.

It's no easy task to survive in politics without power," a senior Congress leader toldThe Hans India. With the likes of BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao, secretary N Indrasena Reddy and Yendala Laxminarayana conducting meetings in Warangal in the span of one week, it appears like that saffron party is on a mission

to make most of TDP's fallbesides attracting Congress leaders, he said.