TRS out to oust Cong

Hyderabad: Even before the election campaign in Telangana kickstarted, the TRS party is trying to attract several Congress MLAs into the party fold which could lead to decimation of the T Congress in the state. In 2014, soon after the elections, the TRS had weaned away almost all the TDP top leaders resulting in the yellow party disappearing from the political scene.

In the recent times, Congress MLAs, including R Kanta Rao, Atram Sakku, B Haripriya Naik, Chirumurthy Lingaiah and P Sabita Indra Reddy had pledged support to TRS and also said that if needed they would resign and contest again on TRS ticket.

Now the Congress MLA from Palair Assembly constituency K Upender Reddy met TRS working president K T Rama Rao on Thursday and expressed his willingness to join the ruling party. Upender Reddy is the sixth one to tilt towards TRS after five other Congress MLAs declared joining TRS. Upender Reddy had defeated TRS candidate and then minister Tummala Nageswara Rao in the last elections.

Upender Reddy said that he strongly believes that his constituency Palair and Khammam district can be developed only under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao hence he has decided to join TRS and work under KCR's guidance. "If need be, I will resign from the MLA post which I have got through Congress party and seek fresh mandate from the people."

"I will join TRS party soon," said Upender Reddy in a letter released on Thursday. He is likely to join in the presence of CM KCR soon.According to sources, there are many other Congress MLAs, who are in touch with the TRS leaders and would join any time. A senior leader in the party said that except for the six Congress MLAs, the 13 other MLAs are willing to join the party.

"Already six MLAs have come out in open and soon the others would also come. They are looking for right time to join the party," said the TRS leader.Sources said that the TRS want to take away the status of main opposition status of Congress party and by doing so there would be no opposition leader. The party has already ensured there is no leader of opposition in Council and the party wants to emulate the same in Assembly also, said sources.

Sources said that another MLA Jajula Surender from Nizamabad district would be the next one to come out to join TRS. Similarly, the ruling party leaders are in touch with P Veeraiah (Bhadrachalam), D Sudheer Reddy (LB Nagar), B Harshvardhan Reddy and others. Sources said that the lone Congress MLA from Medak had also approached the TRS leaders, but the party leadership was cautious on his entry. Sources said that before the Lok Sabha elections the Congress MLAs would come out supporting TRS.