Bury the hatchet, TRS tells its warring leaders

Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi leadership has put an end to the tussle going on between MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy and MLC P Mahender Reddy in Tandur, categorically asking the former minister to cooperate with the MLA.

The two public representatives of the ruling party have been at loggerheads in the Ranga Reddy district with one issue or the other. And on several occasions, the party leadership had to pacify them. The differences cropped up between them after the defeat of P Mahender Reddy in 2018 elections and victory of Congress leader Pilot Rohit Reddy, who later joined the TRS when the CLP was merged with TRSLP. Sources said that Rohit Reddy started taking decisions including giving preference to his followers in the Tandur municipality. This was not liked by the four-time MLA Mahender Reddy, who had influence in Tandur by virtue of being a minister earlier, his brother becoming an MLA and his wife Zilla Parishad chairperson. Party leaders said that they fought in open on several occasions.

It is a known fact in the TRS that the MLAs are given top priority in the official and party activities and they are the ones who take key decisions. When MLC Mahender Reddy tried to have his say in the municipality, the MLA complained to the party's working president KT Rama Rao, who asked them to bury their differences and work for the development of the constituency.

The issue came to the fore once again in the appointment of library chairman. Sources said that the MLC was said to be unhappy with the chairman post given to Rohit Reddy's follower Murali Goud, and went to the TRS working president with other district MLAs. However, it is learnt that the TRS leader told Mahender Reddy that the appointment was made with the consent of the district MLAs. It is also learnt that the former minister was asked to adjust. "The party has given due respect to you and your family by giving the minister's post, MLC, ZP chairperson and also MLA post. You should also cooperate with the MLA," is what the TRS leader had told the former minister, according to sources.