By-poll scare haunts TRS MLAs, after loss

HYDERABAD: The bypoll scare continues to haunt TRS legislators even as the ruling party is yet to recover from the Huzurabad shocker dealt by the BJP.

TRS MLA from Achampet Assembly constituency Guvvala Balaraju has come under severe attack on social media platforms for his U-turn after earlier stating that he would resign if BJP candidate Etala Rajendar retained the seat.

The MLA’s mobile phone is being flooded with hundreds of calls with almost everyone demanding him to honour his word and tender resignation now that Rajendar had emerged the victor.

This has led to heated arguments between the dumbfounded Balaraju and the callers, the audio clips of which have gone viral on social media platforms.  In a last-ditch defence Balaraju is maintaining that he need not resign as BJP leaders G. Kishan Reddy, Bandi Sanjay and D. Aravind had not.

Some of the callers are ridiculing Balaraju for trying to drag BJP leaders into the issue when none of them had been a party to the resignation challenge. Lost for explanations, the MLA has finally switched off his phone.

This being so, reports of an imminent byelection to the Vemulawada Assembly seat has become a nightmarish development for TRS leaders.

Incumbent legislator Chennamaneni Ramesh faces the threat of disqualification over his German citizenship. Reportedly the case, which is pending in High Court, reached its final stage after the Union home ministry submitted an affidavit that Ramesh possesses dual citizenship.

State BJP leaders are already making statements that they are gearing up for Vemulawada by-poll, where, they affirm, they would repeat the Dubbak and Huzurabad successes.

Dubbak MLA M. Raghunandan Rao said the party has initiated preparatory meetings as they are confident that Ramesh would be disqualified anytime soon.