Attempts to lure Congress leaders prove futile

The party has however successfully managed to attract Telugu Desam leaders

The war of words between Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Congress is intensifying as the former’s plans to lure ruling party leaders into its fold are proving futile.

Efforts of the TRS leadership to wean away at least half-a-dozen popular Congress leaders during the last few weeks have fallen apart following swift counter-action by the Congress leadership to pacify such sulking leaders. Speculation over the Congress plans to pull back two of its MPs who joined TRS last year is adding fuel to the fire in the ongoing duel.

The two parties’ attempts to poach into each other are gaining momentum as the date for issuance of general election notification in Telangana is drawing closer. As a result, leaders from either side are giving vent to their emotions as part of the mind game to achieve upper hand over the rival. Sources said the TRS leadership has prepared a list of Congress leaders, including the ones with strained relationship with the newly-formed Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) bosses, who could be the prospective defectors.

The provocative statement of TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao against the Congress leadership stating “let’s see who’ll join whom in the coming weeks” recently is being seen as the strategic one. The TRS has successfully poached into TDP wherever it has weak organisation, but it is unable to replicate the formula in case of the Congress.

“Though not successful, the bid to rope in Congress MLAs including T. Nandeeshwar Goud and P. Kista Reddy is an indication of his (Mr. Rao’s) intentions”, a senior TRS leader maintained. Admitting that there were many aborted attempts, the sources cited the case of former Congress MLA from Kodangal in Mahabubnagar district R. Gurunath Reddy. “Everything was settled for his entry into TRS after Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao spoke to him over phone. K.T. Rama Rao was about to meet Mr. Reddy when a phone call from Union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy played the spoilsport,” sources in TRS explained.

Amid such uncertainties, the TRS leadership is postponing the release of candidates’ lists for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The party was planning to wait till Congress, TDP and BJP announce their candidates as it would work both ways -- to keep the growing discontent within the party under wraps and to accommodate bigwigs left out by those parties, another senior TRS leader stated.