Ending weeks of speculation, Congress MPs G. Vivekanand of Peddapalli and Manda Jagannath of Nagarkurnool, along with the former Congress Working Committee member, K. Keshava Rao, announced their decision to join the Telangana Rashtra Samithi at a public meeting scheduled here for June 2. S. Rajaiah, another MP from Warangal, who was also to join his two colleagues, backed out at the last minute. The former Minister, G. Vinod, brother of Dr. Vivekanand, will also join the TRS. The two are the sons of the former CWC member, G. Venkataswamy.
“We set the May 30 deadline, but the high command has not responded. We have no other option but to join the TRS, as the party is the political face of the Telangana movement,” Dr. Keshava Rao told journalists after a meeting with TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao and other leaders at the residence of Dr. Vivekanand here on Thursday.
Sources said Dr. Vivekanand got a firm assurance from the TRS leadership that he would be nominated to contest the Peddapalli Lok Sabha constituency and Mr. Vinod would be put up in the Bellampalli Assembly constituency. Similarly, Dr. Jagannath has been promised nomination in the Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha constituency and his son Srinath in the Alampur Assembly constituency.
The Congress made no effort to dissuade the two MPs from joining its rival in Telangana.
