TRS MLC Ramulu Naik, Narasa Reddy join Congress, D Srinivas meets Rahul Gandhi
Hyderabad: The game played out a bit differently than expected. Suspended TRS MLC Ramulu Naik and former Gajwel TRS MLA T. Narasa Reddy along with TRS MP D. Srinivas were all supposed to meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Saturday and join the party in his presence.
But while Mr Naik and Mr Narasa Reddy went as per plan, Mr Srinivas did not join the party, though he did have a meeting with Mr Gandhi.
Soon after the meeting, Mr Srinivas spoke to the media and said that he had not joined the Congress. In a quick turnaround, Mr Srinivas said it was normal for him to meet political leaders while he was visiting Delhi and that was why he had met Mr Gandhi. According to sources, he met Mr Gandhi to draw the attention of the TRS leadership, which would then, expectedly, suspend him.
It may be recalled that Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha along with party MLAs and MLCs and others of Nizamabad district had requested TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrase-khar Rao to suspend Mr Srinivas from the party for anti-party activities. Mr Srinivas had waited for his suspension orders and had in fact, after some days, written to Mr Rao to suspend him from the party.
However TRS did not suspend him from the party. If Mr. Srinivas on his own resigned or joined any other party, it would attract the anti-defection law and his membership to the Upper House would be revoked. If the TRS suspended him, his Rajya Sabha seat would be safe.
Recently Mr Naik and former MLA Narasa Reddy had both been suspended because they had met Congress leaders. Now that Mr Srinivas had also met Mr Gandhi, it is expected that the TRS leadership will be compelled to suspend him from the party. Sources said once Mr Srinivas is suspended from the TRS, he will join the Congress. An AICC leader said that Mr Srinivas will work for the Congress in the upcoming elections.
After joining the Congress Mr Naik and Mr Narasa Reddy said that no leader in the TRS had any self-respect. They said that they would change Pragathi Bhavan to Praja Bhavan. They alleged that in TRS rule, every community was being cheated.
