Hours ahead of his induction into the Telangana Rashtra Samithi Cabinet, rebel Telugu Desam Party MLA from Sanatnagar, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, put in his papers, quitting his membership to the Telangana Legislative Assembly.
At a press conference in his residence early on Tuesday, he held aloft the two-line letter addressed to the Speaker, announcing his resignation and requesting that the same may be accepted. He said he had also quit from primary membership of the TDP, as its Politbureau member, as also from the post of the party’s Greater Hyderabad unit.
In his usual acerbic fashion, Mr. Yadav warned people who were heaping criticism on him to be careful in future while talking about him and his ethical levels. “Six times I contested as MLA, won four times and I certainly do not need to learn ethics from anyone in politics. Ups and downs are common in politics and am experienced enough to know that. Only once, during a by-election, TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu campaigned for me,” he said in a direct reference to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.
The rebel MLA expressed his gratitude to Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for inducting him into the Cabinet and said he would strive to safeguard and improve the image of Mr. Rao, of the TRS and that of the cadres. “I express my gratitude to the people who reposed confidence in me all these years and will work hard to develop Hyderabad as a global city and to help realise the people’s dreams of a ‘Bangaru Telangana’ (Golden State),” he declared.
Asked about whether he would choose the Legislative Council route for membership of the Legislature, Mr. Yadav quipped, “I told you I am experienced enough to know what to do and what not. All the six times I have chosen only the Legislative Assembly.”
Since early in the morning, the usual calm environs of Marredpally where Mr. Srinivas Yadav resides, were disturbed by the noise of hundreds of vehicles revving their engines and hordes of people thronging the place and loudspeaker-fitted vans blaring out songs in praise of Telangana and the TRS.
