Telangana Rashtra Samithi faces civic' revolt in traditional bastions

Hyderabad: The TRS is facing internal bickering and growing dissidence in the districts. For the first time, TRS chairpersons in major municipalities are facing no-confidence motions moved by party leaders in association with the Opposition. The party leadership is worried over the dissidence in the districts that are known to be strongholds at a time when the elections are round the corner. The party is facing severe dissidence in undivided Warangal, Nizamabad and Karimnagar districts, considered to be TRS strongholds. 

The party bagged all the MP (Member of Parliament) and MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) seats in these districts in 2014. It also won municipal elections and bagged chairperson posts. Undivided Medak district, the home district of TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and irrigation minister T. Harish Rao is not an exception as local party leaders are openly fighting and indulging in anti-party activities much to the embarrassment of the leadership.

The chairpersons have completed four years of their five-year tenures. No confidence motions are being moved against chairpersons in Bodhan and Armoor municipalities in Nizamabad district, represented by TRS MP K. Kavitha. As per norms, no confidence motions will be allowed after completion of the four-year term. The dissident TRS leaders are utilising this opportunity to dethrone their own party chairpersons with the help of the Opposition. In Mancherial municipality, the TRS councillors split into two groups to oust their own party chairperson. 

TRS councillor Swaroopa raised the banner of revolt against chairperson Sunitha Rani claiming that she had the support of 29 out of 34 councillors. The situation worsened to such an extent that TRS MLA Durgam Chinniah allegedly threatened rebel councillors who joined ‘camp politics’ to come out of the camps or face police cases.  The recorded phone conversation of the MLA over this issue went viral on social media, revealing the hidden mutiny within the ruling party. In Warangal district, TRS Parakala chairperson M. Rajabhadraiah had revolted against his own party and then joined the Congress with the support of TRS councillors. He said local TRS MLA Challa Dharma Reddy was conspiring to oust him from the post due to which he had to quit the party and join Congress.