Khammam: The Congress is losing its hegemony in Khammam and Bhadradri districts with the decision of Palair MLA Kandala Upender Reddy to join the TRS.
Mr Reddy met TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and expressed his wish to join the ruling party. Upender Reddy is the third MLA who announced willingness to join the ruling party.
Yellandu MLA Haripriya Naik and Pinapaka MLA Rega Kantha Rao have already announced their joining the TRS. Rega said that he decided to sail with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao for the development of Pinapaka assembly constituency.
The Congress led Mahakutami was defeated in all other districts in Telangana, but Khamm-am and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts gave relief to the alliance. The Congress won in Madhira and Palair in Khammam district and Kothagudem, Bhadrachalam, Yelandu and Pinapaka in Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts. The TRS won only from the Khammam segment against ten segments in the two districts.
Sandra Venkata Veeraiah was elected from Sattupalli in Khammam district and Mecha Nageswara Rao from Aswaraopet in Bhadradri district from Telugu Desam. Sandra expressed his willingness to join the TRS. With this, the Congress tally came down to three from six in the two districts. Kothagudem MLA and DCC president Vanama Venkateswara Rao is allegedly showing interest to sail with the TRS. So is the case of Podum Veeraiah of Bhadrachalam.
Political experts are surprised at this as everyone thought that the two districts were a fort for the Congress. The TRS worked out a plan to weaken the Congress luring its MLAs into the ruling party. As part of the game plan, three MLAs expressed their interest and the other two may announce their decision any time.
CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka will be only the MLA in the two districts if the remaining two MLAs decide to join the TRS.
