Errabelli Pradeep quits TRS party

Warangal: Warangal Urban Co-operative Bank chairman Errabelli Pradeep Rao, younger brother of Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao, on Sunday announced that he was parting ways with the TRS. Speaking to mediapersons here, Pradeep Rao said: "After a long deliberation, I have decided to quit the TRS. It was a painful decision for a person like me who actively participated in Telangana Movement." It may be mentioned here that Pradeep Rao had tried hard for the Warangal East TRS ticket ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections.

But the TRS leadership fielded Nannapuneni Narender who eventually won the elections.

"Although I worked for his win in the 2018 Assembly elections, my presence in TRS has become intolerable to the Warangal East MLA Nannapuneni Narender.

The TRS leadership kept silent even though the MLA and his followers were humiliating and attacking me verbally," Pradeep Rao alleged. Stating that he had been getting threatening calls from MLA's followers, Pradeep Rao said that Nannapuneni is responsible if anything happens to him.

Referring to Nannapuneni's claims that he had developed the Warangal East constituency with Rs 4,000 crore, Pradeep Rao dared the former to prove it. "Despite my contribution in the elections, Nannapuneni claims that he had won the election on his own. I dare Nannapuneni to resign from the Assembly and contest again. I will wait till August 10. After his response only, I will join any other party," Pradeep Rao said.

Pradeep Rao said that his brother Dayakar Rao has nothing to do with his decision to quit the ruling party. "I sailed with Praja Rajyam Party when Dayakar Rao was in Telugu Desam. I shifted to TRS believing in KCR's call; However, the leadership failed to recognize my services to the party. I was also offered MLC, but it never happened," Pradeep Rao said.

Meanwhile, a senior TRS leader belonging to Warangal East said, on condition of anonymity, Pradeep Rao's departure is a massive setback for the party. Pradeep Rao is likely to join the BJP in a couple of weeks, it's learnt.