BJP eyeing sulking TRS leaders

Khammam: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which wants to make inroads in this district, is making all-out efforts to poach as many important leaders as it can. The party in-charges and Union ministers appear to have laid special focus on Khammam district.

For the past some time, the district wing of the party has been activated and has been successfully taking up protests on various issues and has been holding rallies. The state leaders claim that the response from the people towards BJP was encouraging but what the party lags is that it does not have prominent leaders who can influence the voting pattern. The Saffron party has for some time been making efforts to poach TRS leaders like Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and former MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao. All these three leaders have good following in the district.

It may be mentioned here that for some time Srinivas Reddy has been sulking as the TRS had not given him due recognition or responsibility. Reddy has a good following in the district and being a former MP he is well known in all the ten constituencies. Tummala Nageswara Rao is a well-established senior leader who has a huge following and a strong cadre. He was a minister in the TDP government as well as in the TRS government. He lost to Congress candidate K Upender Reddy of Palair in the last election. Later, Reddy joined TRS. Recently, Tummala had announced that he would contest from Palair again.

It remains to be seen if TRS would clear his name for Palair or not.

Another former MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao, who also lost to Congress candidate from Kothagudem Vanama Venkateswara Rao is hoping to get a TRS ticket from this constituency. It remains to be seen whom the TRS will choose as its candidate. The BJP sees them as potential leaders whom it can attract in case TRS does not give tickets to them.

On the other hand, the CPI too is eyeing Kothagudem seat. But since it has now decided to go with TRS even during assembly elections, the question being raised is: Will TRS concede the seat to CPI and if so how will it handle the possible dissension in the party.