Gangula Kamalakar no match to Eatala Rajender

Hyderabad: The TRS, which has taken the Huzurabad by-election as the most prestigious issue by adopting a multi-pronged strategy to defeat the former minister Eatala Rajender who recently left the pink party and joined BJP, feels that some of the recent developments like the ED notices to the family members of Minister for BC Welfare Gangula Kamalakar could play spoilsport.

Initially, when Eatala had left the party, it was Gangula who was very vociferous in criticising Eatala. The party also wanted to utilise his services for campaigning in the Huzurabad constituency.

But the unexpected developments like ED notices and other controversies linking the Minister's name to a married woman which had gone viral on social media pushed the party into an irksome situation.

According to party insiders, the top leadership felt that this could become a powerful weapon to attack the TRS by the BJP and Eatala. It may be recalled that Eatala has already started claiming that the CM had come with so many announcements, including Dalit Bandhu scheme only to try and defeat him.

Finance Minister T Harish Rao countered saying that if Eatala wins, it will benefit him, but if TRS wins the entire constituency stands to win. In such a situation, the party felt that it would be better to ask Gangula to remain silent.

The leadership also felt that since Gangula had joined the TRS after the formation of Telangana, his criticism of Eatala, who has been in thick and thin of the agitation for separate State could prove to be counter-productive and may adversely affect the chances of the pink party.

Certainly, the sway which Eatala holds over the constituency cannot be undermined, the party leaders feel. Hence, clear instructions have been given to Gangula to confine himself to backroom operations.

Another significant development that took place on Sunday was that Gangula was not seen at the meeting of the party leaders held in Jammikunta. The meeting was presided by Minister Koppula Eshwar. The party has appointed two leaders per mandal, including one Dalit leader to campaign for the bypoll.

Party leaders told The Hans India that the TRS does not want to take any chances and hence it has decided to put the onus of effective campaign on Harish Rao and party working president K T Rama Rao and utilise the services of leaders like L Ramana, P Kaushik Reddy and E Peddi Reddy.