Peddapally MP G. Vivekanand and his brother, former Minister G. Vinod joining the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) on June 2 may or may not inject fresh life into the separate Telangana movement, but it will certainly signify the end of a nearly seven decades of relationship that their family, headed by veteran politician G. Venkatswamy, has enjoyed with the Congress. The event will also disband the Venkatswamy group within the Congress as other leaders in the group are likely to quit the party soon.
It is not only the political uncertainty prevailing in the region that has prompted the brothers to quit the Congress. Mr. Vivekanand, the younger of the two, is quite keen on winning the Peddapally seat, which encompasses the Assembly segments of Mancherial, Bellampally (SC) and Chennur (SC), in the next elections as per the wish of his father.
The senior Congressman aka Kaka, who is bedridden at present, had carefully nurtured the Lok Sabha constituency while serving in various capacities in the party and the Union government during his association with the Congress. The MP, who has been chosen as successor by Mr. Venkatswamy himself, is likely to carry forward the mantle but, from a different platform. Close associates of Mr. Vivekanand say the MP was forced to cross over as the Congress has less chances of a good performance in the next elections. The only option for him was to opt for the separate Telangana platform, they add.
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The district and constituency-level leaders in the already weak Venkatswamy group will also disperse in the coming months.
Former Luxettipet MLA N. Diwakar Rao is rumoured to be keen on joining the YSR Congress while former Mancherial Municipal chairman Krishna Rao is keen on entering the TRS.