KCR in attempt to stem flow of TRS leaders to Congress, BJP
There are three Rajya Sabha MP posts up for grabs by June, for which dozens of TRS leaders are in the race
Hyderabad: The TRS has stepped up its efforts to keep its leaders and cadre in good form in the wake of reports that some disgruntled leaders are planning to join the Congress or the BJP.
This after the Congress formed a special committee under the chairmanship of senior leader K . Jana Reddy to decide who can be admitted to its ranks from other parties. Word also spread that a few TRS leaders and cadre may join the BJP during Union home minister Amit Shah's public meeting in Maheshwaram in May.
The TRS leadership plans to check such attempts by offering nominated posts to its leaders.
The internal bickering in the ruling party is evident in several districts as the Assembly polls near and many leaders are lobbying for nominations. The tussle is more in districts where the TRS had admitted leaders, especially MLAs, from Congress.
Twelve Congress MLAs had defected to the TRS after the 2018 polls. The old-timers in the TRS who had lost to these Congress MLAs were not amused.
With the ruling party promising tickets to all MLAs, the old-timers are reportedly planning to try their luck with either the Congress or the BJP.
There are several disgruntled leaders in the TRS who could not secure nominated posts like MLCs, Cabinet berths, Rajya Sabha seats, posts of chairpersons of various corporations, besides tickets for the previous elections. The opposition parties are trying to lure such leaders.
TRS sources said party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao would try to stem the flow by announcing another round of appointments for nominated posts. Rao had already done five rounds of such appointments for the party and government, including as MLCs and chairpersons of various corporations, after the Huzurabad bypoll in November last.
Still, dozens of nominated posts in the government, as well as the party, are vacant. The CM plans to distribute these to sidelined leaders to keep them with the TRS. There are three Rajya Sabha MP posts up for grabs by June, for which dozens of TRS leaders are in the race.