HYDERABAD: The TRS is understood to be gearing up for a probable byelection to Munugode Assembly constituency in the event of Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy quitting the party and the Assembly to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The party leadership reportedly started luring local leaders and cadres of Opposition Congress and the BJP in Munugode into its fold although it is still not clear whether Rajgopal Reddy will quit or not.
The party leadership admitted mandal and village level leaders and activists of various parties in Munugode into the TRS on Sunday in the presence of energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy at Telangana Bhavan here. The party leadership entrusted the responsibility of ensuring TRS candidate's victory in the constituency to Jagadish Reddy.
The speculation of Rajgopal Reddy resigning from the Congress and as MLA gathered momentum after his reported 'secret meeting' with Union home minister Amit Shah on July 19 purportedly facilitated by an MP from Jharkhand. The TRS leadership strongly feels that the BJP national leadership wants to force another bypoll to check the TRS’ growth after the BJP's victory in Huzurabad bypoll in November last year, according to sources.
The TRS leadership strongly believes that Rajgopal Reddy has agreed to resign from the Congress and as MLA anytime before August 30 and contest the bypoll as a BJP candidate. The BJP national leadership is said to have put forth the condition that Rajgopal Reddy must resign as MLA he wanted to join the party.
After admitting scores of local leaders and cadres from the Congress and the BJP on Sunday at Telangana Bhavan, Jagadish Reddy lashed out at Rajgopal Reddy accusing him of neglecting Munugode constituency since the December 2018 Assembly polls and keeping himself busy with his 'businesses' and 'contracts'.
"Rajgopal doesn't visit his constituency even once in six months. He has no time even to distribute Kalyana Lakshmi cheques to beneficiaries. That's why I visited Munugode and distributed the cheques. What's the use of an MLA who has no time to visit his constituency to look after its development and welfare of people," Jagadish Reddy said.
Stating that the Congress leaders and cadres in Munugode were joining the TRS unable to bear the arrogance of Rajgopal Reddy, Jagadish said, "Rajgopal remains in one party and he praises other parties. Unable to bear this, Congress leaders and workers are joining the TRS."
