While a host of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders, led by party Polit Bureau member Ramesh Rathod, crossed over into the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party at Hyderabad on Monday, about 100 Muslims joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here.
The two political events were miles apart literally and in grandeur yet, the simple one in Adilabad evoked as much public interest as the former.
The Muslims, who joined the BJP, belong to Khursheednagar locality and were workers of the TRS and TDP. The event took place noticeably a few days after BJP president Amit Shah’s visit to Telangana.
Party’s Adilabad district president Payal Shankar, once a protege of Mr. Rathod and later a supporter of Forest Minister Jogu Ramanna, was instrumental in organising the event in the presence of former Pathancheru MLA Satyanarayana Reddy and former BJYM State president Vikram Reddy besides BJP State Executive Committee member Suhasini Reddy and State Council member Madavi Raju.
Syed Hamza, one of the new entrants into the national party, who was TRS president of his municipal ward unit said that his being in the ruling party served no purpose so he jumped fences. “No work was being done despite being in the TRS,” he pointed out.
Similarly, Sk. Rauf, who was TDP’s ward unit president, said that he was attracted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. “I believe development will come only through the BJP,” opined the leader.
