Choutuppal TRS MPTC, host of followers to join BJP over Munugode candidature

HYDERABAD: In a major jolt to the TRS ahead of the Munugode bypoll, party MPP (mandal praja parishad president) of Choutuppal in Nalgonda district, Taduri Venkat Reddy, along with around 100 sarpanches, MPTCs, ZPTCs and other local leaders have decided to join the BJP.

Venkat Reddy is leading dissident leaders in the TRS in Munugode against the candidature of Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy for the bypoll.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Venkat Reddy alleged that police in civil dress came to his apartment in Vanasthalipuram at midnight of Monday and threatened him for meeting BJP MLA Etala Rajendar. He alleged that the police created a panic-like situation in his apartment on the directions of minister G. Jagadish Reddy and other TRS leaders including Armoor MLA A. Jeevan Reddy, Huzurnagar MLA S. Saidi Reddy and TRS Nalgonda in-charge T. Ravinder Reddy.

Venkat Reddy said the harassment by the TRS top leaders started after he held a meeting of local party leaders in Choutuppal on August 10 in which they demanded party leadership not to give ticket to Prabhakar Reddy because the people rejected him in 2018 for indulging in land encroachments and other irregularities. Venkat Reddy also stated that Prabhakar Reddy had harassed local party leaders and cadres by filing false police cases.

“In the meeting, we vowed to work for the victory of the TRS in Munugode bypoll if the party leadership gives ticket to anyone other than Prabhakar Reddy. However, we came to know that the party leadership is in favour of Prabhakar Reddy. For that reason, we decided to quit the TRS and join the BJP. We met Etala Rajendar and expressed our desire to join the BJP,” Venkat Reddy said.

“Minister Jagadish Reddy and other top TRS leaders started harassing me and my followers with false police cases from that day. The police personnel in civil dress came to my apartment at midnight and threatened to break open the door after I refused to open the door. When I called my fellow flatmates, they left. The police said they wanted to serve me some notice pertaining to one old case which too is a bailable offence. I told them to hand it over through my window. All this was done to threaten me and my followers and prevent us from joining the BJP," he said.

Venkat Reddy said he would proceed legally against the police for threatening him.