TRS, TDP, Congress get panicky, coax dissidents

Plummet into action to prevent senior leaders from changing loyalties to BJP before 2019 elections in the State

Hyderabad: Following strong speculations that some senior leaders from ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Opposition parties are inclined to switch loyalties to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of 2019 elections, all political parties have ventured into damage control mode well in advance.

Highlights:

• KCR holds meetings with several leaders who have been approached by the BJP
• Congress conducts one-on-one meetings and counselling sessions
• Chandrababu Naidu keeps an eye on Revanth Reddy and other leaders

The TRS, the Congress and the TDP leadership summoned their party senior leaders, who were reportedly lured by the BJP, to their party offices and held a series of meetings. Reports suggest most of the leaders are set to join the saffron party during BJP National President Amit Shah’s visit to Telangana in the next three months.

TRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao enquired the political developments taking place in the BJP at national and State level with his party members recently and called for meetings with some MPs, who have been contacted by the BJP high command.

Sources said that two TRS MPs from Northern Telangana districts and one Lok Sabha member from South Telangana expressed their readiness to join the BJP before general elections. It is also learnt that a few MLAs, who were unhappy with K Chandrashekar Rao’s leadership, were also contacted by the BJP State and Central units. According to reliable sources, Malkajigiri MP Malla Reddy and Mahbubnagar MP AP Jitender Reddy have been contacted by the BJP leadership.

K Chandrashekar Rao is holding meetings with his close confidents to ascertain the political situation in the districts to counter the ‘Operation Akarsh’ launched by the BJP. Based on the outcome, the TRS supremo held meetings with the ‘sulking’ MPs and MLAs to convince them.

The Congress is also facing threat of migrations to the BJP. The BJP leaders already leaked the names of several Congress leaders who were approached by the party high command. Congress senior leaders including, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, D K Aruna, Sunitha Laxma Redy and others were reportedly approached by Amit Shah directly.

The recent political development in Bihar, where JD (U) snapped ties with its ally RJD and formed government with BJP, formation of BJP led minority government in Goa gave clear indication that BJP is eyeing to set foot in Telangana and other Southern States in next elections.

On the instructions of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) high command, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy has been conducting one-to-one meetings with all senior leaders in the presence of newly-appointed State Congress In-charge R C Khuntia at the party head office for the past one week.

“Counselling sessions are going on in the Congress ever since the media reported that a bunch of Congress leaders are planning to join BJP,” a senior leader said. TDP national party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also enquired whether TDP Telangana unit working president A Revanth Reddy was joining BJP.

Revanth was closely associated with ABVP, BJP’s student outfit, before he plunged into active politics. Sources said the BJP offered a big post to Revanth if he joined the ruling national party in Telangana. Other TDP leaders in Warangal, Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts were also contacted.

Sources said that political activity would heat up in Telangana by December this year as Amit Shah is planning to give a big jolt to the three parties by joining many leaders of TRS, Congress and TDP in BJP.

By Patan Afzal Babu