TRS leaders keep it all in the family, workers lose

Hyderabad: Dynastic and family politics have become commonplace. It can be found in almost all major political parties, especially so in regional parties, including in the two Telugu states. The TRS is no exception to the rule.

In a way, the fallout has been ominous. The die-hard party workers are left in the lurch. Despite having dedicated their life for the party, they are upstaged by members of one political party or other, who call the shots. The dominance is such that when it comes to nominating candidates for any election from the Parliament to panchayat ward member, it is the family member who gets the preference while workers and cadre are rarely considered.

The real workers are confined to carrying the party flag on their shoulders. The TRS workers, who have been active since the separate Telangana movement, are still to be recognised or rewarded by the leadership.  

In the recent Municipal and ZP elections, several family members of TRS leaders enjoyed the privilege and now some of the party leaders have set eyes on Cooperative elections and the Chairman posts for any family member. Unfortunately, TRS workers are not being considered for nominated posts. One fails to understand the yardstick. For instance, some families have three important posts in their kitty.  

Prominent in this, post-municipal elections are Jogu Premachandar is the new Adilabad municipal chairman; his father Jogu Ramanna is a minister in the state Cabinet.

Putta Shailaja has become chairperson of Manthani municipality while her husband and former MLA Putta Madhu is Peddapalli zilla parishad chairman.

Government Whip Balka Suman’s mother was elected as municipal ward member.

This trend was noticed even during the Lok Sabha elections, where family members were preferred over party leaders. For example labour minister Ch. Malla Reddy’s son-in-law and animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav’s son were given tickets.

Former Minister Patnam Mahendar Reddy family boasts of three important positions. He is an MLC, his wife Sunitha Mahendar Reddy is Vikarabad zilla parishad chairperson and brother Patnam Narendar Reddy is MLA from Kodangal.

Former MLA Teegala Krishna Reddy’s daughter-in-law Anitha Reddy is Vikarabad zilla parishad chairperson.  Bhupalpally MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy’s wife Gandra Jyothi is chairperson of the Warangal rural ZP.

In the municipal elections, kin of several TRS leaders were elected as ward members.

A senior TRS leader explained that in the local body elections, the party leadership gave a free hand and powers to MLAs to select candidates. Some MLAs have given importance to their family members instead of loyal party workers.

Meanwhile, in some constituencies where MLAs who had defected and joined TRS were considered at the cost of dedicated party workers. This line was also used in nominated posts for MLA and MLC categories.

Ironically, while senior leaders are changing parties if they are not given tickets for assembly or Lok Sabha elections, the genuine long-standing workers, who strive for the nominee’s win, are always ignored.