TRS caught in internal fights in south Telangana districts

Hyderabad: The total organisational restructuring of the TRS, which began on September 2, is progressing smoothly in North Telangana districts but has triggered infighting in South Telangana districts including the GHMC limits, according to party sources.

More so, the selection of district party presidents for each of the 33 districts is posing a major challenge to party leadership with ministers and MLAs in respective districts recommending different names for these posts. To pacify all sections, the party leadership asked leaders in each district to recommend four names from which party president K. Chandrashekar Rao will pick one after September 20.

In the meantime, the party leaders were asked to complete the process of constitution of party committees at all village and mandal-levels before September 20 in districts where there is less infighting among party leaders.
Infighting came to light when party working president K.T. Rama Rao held a meeting with party general secretaries on Monday to review the restructuring exercise.

The infighting is a manifestation of the political rivalry between TRS leaders and those who joined the party later. Most of the MLAs and MLCs who defected from other parties into the TRS since 2014 hail from South Telangana districts. This is where the problem cropped up between old and new leaders, who want the party's nominated posts for themselves or their associates.

This push has intensified with the 2023 Assembly polls in mind, some 27 months away while the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will follow. Each leader feels his prospects will improve in the elections if his supporters hold key positions in his district.

The infighting is more in districts from where there are two or more ministers.

No major complaint came from undivided Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam districts. But districts such as undivided Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad districts are seeing internal frictions.