Kukatpally legislator calls on KCR to join party
Telugu Desam MLA Madhavaram Krishna Rao
Hyderabad: Barely 36 hours before the polls for six MLC seats, the Telugu Desam MLA from Kukatpally, Madhavaram Krishna Rao met TRS chief and Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, at his Yerravalli farmhouse on Saturday and announced joining the TRS. This development, though on expected lines, would make TD MLC nominee, Vem Narender Reddy’s chances of victory doubtful. The CM who went to Yadadri in the afternoon, returned to his farmhouse by evening to meet Krishna Rao. The CM invited Krishna Rao into the TRS by offering the pink kanduva. His joining the TRS has been on the cards for some time as reports suggest pressure on him from ruling party leaders including from the financially sound Velama community leaders.
“I joined the TRS for the sake of development of my Assembly constituency. There are no other reasons. I am forever indebted to Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh babu for making me MLA, but I need to serve my constituency,” he said. In fact TD president and AP Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday afternoon convened a luncheon meeting for the 11 TD and five BJP MLAs at his Lake View camp office, which the Kukutpally MLA skipped and sent a message that he was attending a funeral in his constituency. However, at the same time he was reportedly on his way to the farmhouse at Yerravalli, 50 km from the city.
The TD was hoping for support from two TRS MLAs besides their actual strength of 11 MLAs (including Mr Krishna Rao) and five MLAs from the friendly BJP to make it to 18 to ensure a win for the lone TD nominee in the MLC polls. “The defection to TRS is on expected lines, but we are going to win the MLC polls. At least two to three MLAs from the ruling TRS will vote for our nominee. This is 100 per cent sure,” TDLP Leader Errabelli Dayakara Rao told this newspaper.
With this latest defection, one third of the 15 elected MLAs from TD are now in the TRS, besides four from Congress, two from YSR Congress, two from Bahujan Samaj Party (announced merger of party in TRS) taking the strength of the TRS to 77. TRS also enjoys the support of seven Majlis MLAs thus making it a total of 84 in a house of 120. TRS chief has fielded five candidates in the MLC polls for six seats.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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