Telugu Desam Party that was once a formidable force in the district is now almost empty with the resignation of party district president and ex-MLC Arkala Narsa Reddy, party leaders Rajaram Yadav, Venugopal Yadav and their followers.
Telugu Desam strongman Mandava Venkateswar Rao, a five-time MLA from the Dichpally (now Nizamabad rural) constituency who held a Cabinet post in Chandrababu ministry for several years and another senior leader A. Annapoornamma who represented Armoor constituency twice and TDP State vice-president Amarnath Babu are yet to reveal their minds. It is understood that these leaders have been in consultation with their followers on which party to join.
Undecided
Initial reports said that Annapoornamma would join the Congress along with A. Revanth Reddy.
However, since she reportedly wants to groom her son Mallikarjun Reddy, a cardiologist by profession, to join public life she has adopted a wait and watch policy. She appears to be undecided between Congress and TRS as both the parties have invited her to join them.
She is reported to have commissioned a survey in both the Balkonda and Armoor constituencies to gauge the pulse of the public on both the Congress and the TRS and her chances in either party. She may take a decision on the basis of the survey results. She has an open offer from the TRS leadership but she doesn’t want to antagonise the sitting MLAs from the ruling party.
Lot of pressure
On the other hand Mandava is known to be a close friend of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and also his Cabinet colleague Tummala Nageswar Rao as they were colleagues in Chandrababu Naidu’s government. Mr. Venkateswar Rao stayed away from the last Assembly elections but this time he is under lot of pressure from the ruling TRS to re-enter active politics.
Though there is a lot of speculation about his reentry, he has kept his opinion and has not revealed anything to either his followers or the TRS leadership.
If the former minister enters the ruling party there will be a big change in political equations in the Nizamabad rural constituency.
