Telangana: Congress may end up with 6 MLAs

Hyderabad: A ninth legislator is set to leave the Congress for the TRS but the ruling party may not want to take him in. Sangareddy Congress legislator Turupu Jayaprakash Reddy, also known as T. Jaggareddy, held  a discussion with party workers on Saturday and decided to join the TRS. This is despite affirming several times in the past that he would continue in the Congress.

TRS sources said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao may not like to admit him to his party as he faces several cases.

Meanwhile, Naresh Jadav in Adilabad resigned from Congress in protest against the selection of Mr Ramesh Rathod as Adilabad Lok Sabha candidate.

He had contested from the seat previously and had expected a renomination.

Another leader, Mr Soyam Baburao, is planning to resign from the party. In the recent Assembly elections, Mr Babu Rao had unsuccessfully contested from Boath constituency. His name was also under consideration for Adilabad Lok Sabha constituency and he is upset that Mr Rathod was selected.

In Hyderabad, TPCC spokesperson Ramya Rao quit the party. She is the daughter of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s brother. During the recent Assembly elections, she had strongly criticised Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s family. She may also join the ruling party.

According to a Congress leader’s assessment, the party will be left with only five or six MLAs out of the 19 who were elected in December. The party currently has 11 legislators, with eight having announced their decision to shift to the TRS.

Congress leaders said TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, former minister D. Sridhar Babu, former chief whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy and first-tine legislator Pilot Rohit Reddy, said to be close to MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, would not join the TRS under any circumstances.

They said legislators Podem Veeraiah, Dasari Anasuya (Seethakka), B. Harshavardhan Reddy and Jajala Surender may defect to the TRS. They said party legislator Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy would also switch loyalties after Mr K. Upendar Reddy, his relative, and Chirumarthi Lingaiah, a close associate, made the journey to Telangana Bhavan.