The attitude of central leadership during the election of the Leader of Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council and promise of better future in the TRS prompted five Congress MLCs to join the TRS on Wednesday.
Last minute bid by the top State Congress leaders including the TPCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah, CLP leader K. Jana Reddy and Leader of Opposition in Council D. Srinivas failed to fructify. K. R. Amos, Jagadishwar Reddy, V. Bhupal Reddy, Bhanuprasad and N. Rajalingam joined TRS. Fervent appeal by Mr. Jana Reddy and Deputy Leader of Congress in Council Md. Ali Shabbir saw another MLC K. Yadava Reddy dropping the idea to join the TRS.
Sources said the five MLCs were cut up with AICC leaders Digvijay Singh and Vayalar Ravi, who had come here to oversee the election of CLP as well as the Leader of Opposition in Council earlier this month.
Despite strong objection to the election of Mr. Srinivas, the high command had recommended his name for the post of Leader of the Opposition, these MLCs had bitterly complained to the AICC observers. Mr. Singh and Mr. Ravi maintained that Mr. Srinivas was elected as he polled more votes than Mr. Shabbir.
It is understood that top TRS leaders had contacted these MLCs and promised all support. Rajya Sabha member K. Keshava Rao persuaded these MLCs to join the TRS as they are close to him. “These MLCs, whose term ends in 2015, have been promised re-nomination by the TRS leadership,” a senior Congress leader remarked.
“The party chose to give priority to leaders, who lost the elections. They ignored us notwithstanding our loyalty to the party. If leader like Amos decides to sever ties with the Congress, you can understand the disappointment we have,” sources close to the defected MLCs maintained.
Defections have come as a setback to the party as it had 17 members in the Upper House. They were confident of wresting the Chairman’s post if notification was issued. “The equations have totally changed as our strength has fallen to 12 and that of TRS up to 16. If a notification is issued, it has chances of wresting the Chairman’s post and that of the deputy also,” a Congress MLC remarked.
In a related development, the party is toying with the idea of submitting a petition to the Chairman of the Council seeking disqualification of the defectors as they were elected from the MLA as well as LAC quota.
