Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has condemned the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leaders’ “outbursts” against the plan of two Congress legislators to join the TRS, terming the review of policies and changing parties as “natural” in politics.
TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Monday justified the plans of two tribal MLAs from Congress Athram Sakku and Rega Kantha Rao, to join the ruling party stating that they had taken the decision with faith in the policies being pursued by Chief Minister and TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Before questioning TRS, he suggested the Congress leaders to do an introspection on such defections.
Mr. Rama Rao sought to know from TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader M. Bhatti Vikramarka for how much they had “bought” Chevella MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy and MLCs R. Bhoopathi Reddy and K. Yadava Reddy, who were elected on TRS tickets, just before the recent Assembly elections. Before that how much the Congress had paid to A. Revanth Reddy for his switch over from TDP, he asked addressing a press conference.
Encouraging defections
Citing a more recent example, the TRS working president sought to know how much Congress had paid a BJP MP in Uttar Pradesh who had joined the Congress on Sunday in the presence of AICC president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. He also questioned why Mr. Reddy and Mr. Vikramarka kept quiet when their friendly party TDP had taken in 26 MLAs of YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh.
Exuding confidence that TRS would bag all five MLC seats in MLAs’ quota, Mr. Rama Rao said no decision had been taken yet on the Teachers’ and Graduates’ Constituency MLC polls “as they are fought on non-party basis”.
Self-respect
Meanwhile, the two Congress legislators who have decided to join TRS — A. Sakku and R. Kantha Rao — alleged that TPCC leaders were making statements amounting to hurting their self-respect. They sought to know why the Congress leaders had not used such language when the leaders from upper castes changed their loyalty and demanded that the remarks against them be taken back.
The two legislators stated that they had already explained to their constituents as to why they were planning to join TRS and added that they would quit MLA posts, if necessary. Stating that Congress was contesting MLC poll in MLAs’ quota without having required numbers, they accused the TPCC leadership of backing the Congress candidate who was offering huge money even to party legislators for supporting him.
