Telangana Congress leader Gutta moves closer to TRS, Komati stranded

Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader and three-time Lok Sabha member Gutta Sukhender Reddy is likely to join the ruling TRS. Mr Sukhender Reddy, 62, was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Nalgonda Parliamentary constituency on a Congress ticket in the 2014 elections.

A seasoned politician, he was first elected to the Lok Sabha on a Telugu Desam ticket in 1999-2004 and later joined the Congress. He was elected on Congress ticket in 2009 and 2014.

“It’s a fact I was invited by the TRS leadership to join the party. I haven’t taken a decision yet,” Mr Sukhender Reddy told DC, when asked whether he was joining the ruling party at the invitation of TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao.

He, however, avoided saying if he had rejected the TRS offer. If he does cross over, Mr Govardhan Reddy would be the second MP, after Telugu Desam’s Ch. Malla Reddy, to join the TRS.

Meanwhile, sources confirmed that Mr Sukhender Reddy was indeed joining the TRS and his entry has been okayed by the top brass of the party. “He will join any moment. It’s a matter of time. It’s confirmed,” a senior TRS leader from Nalgonda said.

Asked about rumours that Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, also from Nalgonda district, too would be joining the TRS, the source said, “When Sukhender Reddy is joining the TRS, there no chance that Venkata Reddy will follow. Some Congress MLAs want to join TRS but they are seeking Cabinet berths. Their demand has been rejected by the TRS president.”

The sources said that energy minister A. Jagdish Reddy, who also hails from Nalgonda district, was opposed to Mr Venkata Reddy’s entry into the TRS.

Mr Sukhender Reddy had also served as chairman of AP Dairy Development Cooperative Federation during 1995-99 in undivided AP and had also headed the Nalgonda-Ranga Reddy Milk Producers Mutually Aided Coop Union Ltd.

Many TRS coverts in Congress: Palvai
Accusing a few party leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly K. Jana Reddy, of acting like coverts of the ruling TRS Congress senior leader and MP Palvai Govardhan Reddy on Wednesday said that a complete overhaul of the Telangana Congress was the need of the hour.

Addressing the media at the Gandhi Bhavan here, Mr Govardhan Reddy said that some leaders like Nalgonda MLA Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, Nalgonda MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy and Miryalaguda MLA N. Bhaskara Rao were preparing to join the TRS. He said that this development would be most welcome one for the Congress.

“The sooner they leave the party, the better as we can start rebuilding it. But all those who intend to leave the Congress should resign from their posts,” the Rajya Sabha member said.

“There are several TRS coverts in the Congress; Jana Reddy is among them. I don’t know whether he will also quit the party,” Mr Govardhan Reddy said.

He said that the Komatireddy brothers have been lobbying with minister Harish Rao and getting a few contracts for their companies. “They are too selfish and do not have any interest in developing the Congress,” he said.

The senior leader said that since Mr Venkata Reddy had openly shown indiscipline by saying that he does not care about the cause notice issued against him by TPCC, he should be expelled from the party.

When asked about his comments against Mr Jana Reddy and AICC general-secretary Digvijay Singh in the past, Mr Govardhan Reddy said that he had never abused anybody but he only criticised their actions in the interest of the Congress.