Hyderabad: Rows involving public reps turn headache for ruling TRS

Hyderabad: TRS working president KT Rama Rao is 'unhappy' with Uppal MLA Bheti Subhash Reddy, asking him not to break party discipline. He has told the legislator that party is supreme.

The TRS leader was upset with the MLA coming to the party meeting without being invited. Reddy wanted the minister to direct party leaders (referring to former Mayor B Rammohan) not to take up any programme without his permission. It is learnt that KTR took exception to this and told the legislator " there are no MLAs and ministers if there is no party".

Controversies surrounding the public representatives have become a headache for the ruling party, as the victims have alleged harassment by the ruling party leaders with the help of the police in districts. There have been several instances in the State where public representatives, like ministers, MLAs and other leaders, have faced charges of harassment.

In some incidents, the victims have committed suicide alleging harassment by the ruling party leaders.

The latest incident of Sai Ganesh, a BJP activist in Khammam, committed suicide allegedly over the harassment by the police. The local BJP leaders targeted Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar burning his flexies in the district.

Even as the Khammam controversy was going on, a mother and a son committed suicide in a lodge in Kamareddy alleging that local TRS leaders, including the municipal chairman, were the reason for their suicide. They also alleged that the police had not initiated any action even after complaints.

Another MLA in Khammam Vanama Venkateshwar Rao had to face embarrassment after a family committed suicide alleging harassment by his son Raghava. The family members made a video before committing suicide, which went viral on social media. The party leadership took serious note of the incident and asked the seniors to keep leaders away from party activities.

The incidents of missing people from Mahbubnagar had also created uproar in the State. People who filed cases against Minister V Srinivas Goud for tampering with election affidavit went mysteriously missing, as their family members lodged complaints with the police. However, it was later informed by the police that some of them were involved in a conspiracy to kill Goud. It was also alleged that a TRS activist had a hand in the killing of an advocate couple in Nizamabad.

According to party leaders, repeated incidents like these were denting the image of the pink party. "The party leadership has to take immediate action to set things right before it goes out of hand because just one year is left for elections in the State," said a TRS leader who has been with the party since its inception.