Debate on who will return to Cong in RR district kicks off

Rangareddy: With the ousting of the BRS government in the recent elections, the fate of several pink party MLAs in Ranga Reddy district hangs in balance. A debate over the possible defection of a few elected leaders into the Congress has become talk of the town.

Of the eight assembly constituencies in Ranga Reddy, the Congress managed to win three, while the BRS maintained a grip over five seats. The most significant contest was in the Maheshwaram and Rajendranagar segments where P. Sabita Indra Reddy and T Prakash Goud registered second straight wins. While the three-time MLA Goud successfully secured the mandate in his favour for fourth time, Sabita managed to win from Maheshwaram for second time.

Surprisingly, after two consecutive wins from Rajendranagar on Telugu Desam Party ticket Goud defected to BRS and managed to register a hat-trick win in 2018. He was re-elected in the recent elections for the fourth time.

Similarly, Sabita won the Maheshwaram seat on Congress ticket in 2018 but later joined the ruling party. She contested again from the segment on a BRS ticket and registered a thumping victory, but her party lost power in the State.

While Goud is a TDP product, Sabita is a card-carrying politician from the Congress school of thought since beginning. He secured a fourth consecutive win by bagging 121,734 votes, whereas Sabita retained the seat with 125,578 votes.

With the Congress elevated to power, the BRS and Congress camps are extensively debating both the leaders’ possible defection into GOP.

Reacting to the scenario in Maheshwaram, a senior BRS leader and a ward councillorMohd Afzal said, “It is quite premature to say something about Sabita’s possible unification with the Congress. Although people are discussing it, no such decision has been taken yet.”

He said whatever decision in this regard will be taken in the interest of people of the constituency as she is known as a leader of masses regardless of party affiliation.

“Most people are discussing that Sabita may surely join the Congress fold soon, but the decision will come only after wider deliberations with party leaders and her supporters in the segment. She will surely take the call only according to aspirations of the public,” said another politician close to Sabita, on the condition of anonymity.

People in Rajendranagar are of the view that Goud is known as a politician who always prefers flowing according winds blow. He was with TDP when he was first elected. Later he joined the BRS to continue in power. Now when the pink party is dislodged from power he may consider defecting just to save his career.

There were similar talks and debates among the public and in political camps in other BRS-led constituencies in the district, but Maheshwaram and Rajendranagar are top among them with extensive discussions about a possible change of political guard in the segments.