Top TRS leaders jockeying for Rythu Samithi Chairman post

Hyderabad: Top leaders in Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) are vying for the post of Rythu Samanvaya Samithi Chairman as the post enjoys equal status as that of a cabinet rank, after government formed it as new corporation.

The post has become significant because samithis would be assisting the farmers in the farming activities in villages. There would be mandal, district and State samithis and the Chairman would be overseeing the State-wide samithis.

Leaders like former Speaker of the State Assembly K R Suresh Reddy, Bajireddy Goverdhan and others are eyeing the post.

The Rythu Samanvaya Samithi Chairman post has been lying vacant after its former chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy was made Chairman of Telangana Legislative Council.

According to sources, the TRS leaders have stepped up lobbying for the post and accordingly, they are meeting key leaders in the party.

Sources said Suresh Reddy met TRS working president K T Rama Rao and sought the post of Chairman. Reportedly, Rama Rao informed him that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has decided to give him another post probably the post of advisor to government.

But Suresh Reddy was not keen on accepting the advisor post and wanted the samithi post as he was also from agriculture background and can take up various programmes under the samithi.

Nizamabad Rural MLA Bajireddy Goverdhan is also eying the post of Chairman. Sources said that Bajireddy told his followers that the Chief Minister had assured him the chairman post and orders would also be issued soon.

The others in the race for the plum post include Mandava Venkateshwara Rao and Tummala Nageshwara Rao who also have strong agriculture background. During the Lok Sabha elections, the Chief Minister met Venkateshwara Rao and invited him into the party.

However, his chances were said to have decreased after the defeat of Kalvakuntla Kavitha in the Nizamabad Lok Sabha elections.

Similarly, the name of T Nageswara Rao from Khammam is also doing rounds. Nageswara Rao has served as minister in K Chandrashekar Rao's cabinet during the first term of TRS.

He was among the leaders who were defeated during the 2018 Assembly elections in the State.