Ajay leaves Congress in a quandary

Makes it easy for Tummala to win Palair bypoll

Khammam: As was predicted, Khammam MLA Puvvada Ajay Kumar is set to join the ruling TRS. Albeit it was on the cards for a long time, the timing of the decision appears to be a death knell for the Congress at a time when the party is leaving no stone unturned to retain the Palair Assembly seat.

There has been a lot of speculation in the district political circles for the last few weeks that Ajay may join the TRS based on his proximity to K Taraka Rama Rao (KTR). Of late also, it was predicted that he might shift loyalties to the ruling party during the TRS’ plenary slated for April 27, apart from the merger of YSR Congress with the TRS.

With Tummala Nageswar Rao is set to move to Palair Assembly constituency in the future, the political equation has also come in favour of Ajay as he is virtually assured of TRS ticket for Khammam seat in the 2019 elections. It may be mentioned here that Ajay defeated Tummala, who then in Telugu Desam, in the 2014 polls.

The allocation of Telangana PCC posts has certainly become a moot point with senior leaders like Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy expressing unhappiness. While dashing his resignation letter from all party posts, he openly criticised the TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Ajay also echoed similar opinion when he spoke to media persons at his camp office here on Sunday after holding a meeting with his followers. “Though I sincerely worked for the party development, there was no recognition. The recent allocation of TPCC posts reflect that my endeavours were not recognized,” Ajay said, blaming the party bigwigs for bestowing posts to those not active in the party.

The Congress is blindly opposing the TRS, Ajay said, finding fault with the TPCC functionaries of unnecessarily raising a hue and cry over the ruling party’s every decision even though they are meant for the good of the people.

Expressing shock, the TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy told The Hans India: “The recognition he (Ajay) enjoys today is only because of the Congress. Party made him MLA and what else it can do for him. I am saddened by the development.”

Ajay will join the TRS in the presence of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in Hyderabad on Monday. It’s learnt that quite a few Corporators of Khammam Municipal Corporation are also set to join the ruling party along with Ajay.

MLC Farooq Hussain too

The TPCC is in for yet another shock as MLC Mohammed Farooq Hussain has also decided to join the TRS on Monday along with the Congress MLA Puvvada Ajay.

According to sources, he has taken the decision to leave the Congress following the attitude of party leadership which was not recognising the services of grassroots-level leaders who have been associated with the party for several decades.

Farooq said though he had served the party for nearly four decades posts of general secretaries were given to non-entities who do not have any following.

Farooq is said to have expressed his anguish over the way the TPCC was functioning when the AICC in-charge of the Congress affairs in the state Digvijay Singh came to Hyderabad.

He brought to the notice of Singh that during the selection process of candidates for Municipal elections in Siddipet his home town, he was not consulted. He also explained to Digvijay Singh that even during GHMC elections, none of the local leaders were taken into account before fielding the candidates.