TRS offer seats to rebel Congress leaders

HYDERABAD : The Telangana Rashtra Samiti has offered safe seats to Congress leaders from the region to fuel their rebellion against the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. The Congress rebels are reportedly in constant touch with the TRS leadership seeking their help in the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. A TRS source said that the leader of the Congress rebels, Mr G. Venkataswamy, was promised that the Peddappalli Lok Sabha seat would be given to his son, Mr Vivek.
Mr Venkataswamy, a veteran Congress leader, is leading the war against Dr Reddy within the party over the Telangana issue. “Some of them have been promised tickets for the next polls,” said a senior TRS leader. “Others are trying to wangle tickets for their kin.” The chorus for a separate state is at its highest pitch among Congress leaders from districts such as Karimnagar, Warangal, Medak and Nalgonda, where the Telangana sentiment is perceived to be high.
Senior Congress leaders from Telangana are reportedly moving closer to TRS as they fear the YSR camp will deny them tickets in the ensuing Assembly elections for raising the Telangana slogan. The delimitation of Assembly constituencies, which is expected to change the political fortunes of some of the leaders, is also said to be a reason for shifting loyalties.
Senior Congress leader U. Purushottam Reddy, who has been criticising YSR on the Telangana issue of late, represents the Ramannapeta constituency, which is expected to vanish after the reorganisation of constituencies. “There is no doubt the sentiment will play a major role in the elections,” said a Congress MLA from Karimnagar. “We can’t simply sit and flatter the Chief Minister when the elections are round the corner.”
This is sweet revenge for the TRS leaders who watched helplessly as the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, used his power to make rebels out of nine TRS MLAs earlier. “We are using the same formula to beat him in his own game,” said a senior TRS leader. “Many Congress leaders want safe seats and we are giving them promises.”


courtesy:andhracafe.com