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Gandra ends suspense, to join TRS
The inevitable has happened. Bringing the curtains down on months of suspense, senior Telugu Desam leader and Bhupalpally district president Gandra Satyanarayana Rao has decided to join the ruling TRS.
Bhupalpally/Janagaon: The inevitable has happened. Bringing the curtains down on months of suspense, senior Telugu Desam leader and Bhupalpally district president Gandra Satyanarayana Rao has decided to join the ruling TRS.
Satyanarayana Rao and party’s Jangaon district president Kondam Madhusudhan Reddy, who met the TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday, conveyed their decision to quit the party. Both the leaders were scheduled to join the TRS in the presence of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
The development comes in as a huge jolt for the TDP especially against the backdrop that party had lost senior leaders like Sitakka alias Danasari Anasuya and Vem Narender Reddy who joined the Congress a fortnight ago. With this, the party now became headless in Bhupalpally and Jangaon districts.
What is interesting is that Satyanarayana Rao’s inclusion into the TRS fold means in all probability he will be the ruling party’s candidate from Bhupalpally, currently represented by Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary, in the next election. It may be noted here that Chary is a close associate of KCR since the times of Telangana Movement.
Satyanarayana Rao, who has been with the TDP since its inception, didn’t oblige party diktat, when Bhupalpally ticket was allotted to BJP as part poll alliance in 2014. However, both the parties allowed him to contest on BJP ticket. But he narrowly lost to Chary in a triangle contest. Despite this, he is touted as a strong candidate from Bhupalpally.
For the last several weeks, the speculation was rife that Satyanarayana Rao was on the radar of both the ruling party and the Congress. However, former TDP leader A Revanth Reddy tried to rope him in his entourage which joined the Congress, Satyanarayana Rao didn’t accept the invite as he was not given assurance of allotting party ticket, sources said. It may be noted here that Congress has a well-established leader in former MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy from Bhupalpally.
Speaking to The Hans India, Satyanarayana Rao said: “I have no option but to follow the voice of my followers and party cadres.” Kondam Madhusudhan Reddy also confirmed his switchover to TRS along with his followers. Both the leaders are said to be mobilising their cadres in large numbers when they join the TRS on Wednesday.
