The Kaushik Reddy episode has ruffled the feathers of many die-hard and loyal Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) activists and the open questioning of his choice as MLC with their local MLAs and leaders seems to have spurred the party to promise nominated posts to those who have sailed with the party in difficult times.
Entry of Congress MLAs and their followers, and numerous elected representatives invited into the party-fold before every bypoll in the State has diminished political opportunities for those who sacrificed their time and money for the party during the Telangana agitation. However, except expressing anguish on a few occasions party activists confined their disappointment to murmurs.
Somehow, the nomination of Kaushik Reddy as MLC blew the lid on the suppressed frustration and even the most disciplined party leaders started airing their views openly, leaving local MLAs with nothing much to console them. The most vociferous of these are from Karimnagar district, particularly Huzurabad Assembly segment where the bypoll is scheduled.
Apparently, this is the reason TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao wants to fill 500 nominated posts soon and these would be reserved for those who have been with the party, braving rough times. He also acknowledged the anger among party loyalists with inputs from Karimnagar reaching him.
In fact, several leaders have been approaching KTR for the last few months, seeking nominated posts and leaving record of their sacrifices for the party with his office, expecting some luck. In fact, this flow started last December after the party suffered badly in the GHMC elections. This loss was preceded by the Dubbaka bypoll where the BJP emerged victorious.
There is an internal tussle between the TRS cadre and those who have come along with the MLAs, ZPTCs and sarpanches who defected to the TRS after they were elected on another party ticket. This turned acrimonious wherever Congress MLAs defected, given the decade-long animosity among the cadre.
Senior leader and former minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao’s followers went to the extent of filing cases against Paleru MLA Upender Reddy, alleging that he was harassing Tummala’s followers. Another senior leader Enugu Ravinder Reddy left the party after Congress MLA from Yellareddy joined the TRS. In Maheshwaram former MLA Teegala Krishna Reddy is keeping himself away from party activities after Sabitha Indra Reddy joined the TRS.
The power tussle is not confined to top leadership but it trickled down to the village cadre in several constituencies. This is now worrying the party as it cannot afford groupism with the BJP and Congress going great guns, blazing against the ruling party and trying to woo their cadre as well.
A senior TRS leader agreed that followers of Congress MLAs may not get priority in the next phase of nominated posts.
