Defections common: K T Rama Rao
Minister cites Jana example, welcomes Vijayarama Rao.
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-12-13 03:25 GMT
Hyderabad: IT minister K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday refuted allegations by Congress leader K. Jana Reddy that the TRS was intimidating leaders of Opposition parties and encouraging mass defections to the ruling party. The minister said defections from one political party to another was quite common in politics. Denying allegations that the TRS was intimidating Congress supporters and forcibly admitting them to the party, Mr Rama Rao said before criticising ruling party, Congress leaders should introspect on their own deficiencies.
“Is it not a fact that Mr Jana Reddy has changed political parties earlier? What about Chandrababu Naidu, who joined another party after quitting the Congress? It is quite a common feature in politics when such big leaders switch loyalties. What is wrong if ZPTC and MPTC members change parties,” the IT minister said. Denying involvement of TRS workers in the alleged threat call received by Mr Shabbir Ali, the minister sarcastically asked, “Do we have the guts to threaten a leader like Shabbir Ali? Police is investigating into the threat call.”
The minister called on the former CBI director and former minister K. Vijayarama Rao, who quit the TD on Friday, at his residence in the afternoon and formally invited him to join the TRS. Speaking to media along with the minister, Mr Vijayarama Rao said he would be meeting the Chief Minister in a couple of days and formally join the TRS to be part of developing Hyderabad as a global city.
Naidu calls up former minister:
AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu telephoned former minister K. Vijayarama Rao here on Saturday and told him not to join any other political party. He suggested that he not take any immediate decision about switching loyalties to the TRS. He promised to resolve all issues in the party. TD sources said that Mr Vijayarama Rao responded to the request, but he decided to join the TRS and meet TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in next two days says one TD leader.
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