Congress looks for chinks in BJP, TRS armours

HYDERABAD: With its spirit apparently soaring after defecting some TDP leaders led by A Revanth Reddy to the party-fold, the Congress is now focussing on the ruling TRS as well as BJP to poach more leaders.Konda couple - MLA Konda Surekha (Warangal East) and her MLC husband Murali - who are strong leaders in Warangal district, both TRS members, and former minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy (Nagarkurnool), from BJP, are said to be the next in line who are being eyed by the Congress leadership.

A TPCC senior leader told Express that both Konda couple and Nagam Janardhan Reddy are in touch with the Congress leadership and negotiations are going on. Even though Konda couple dismissed the reports, none other than TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, during a meeting with party leaders at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, reportedly disclosed that the couple was holding talks with the Congress leadership as they were feeling ‘suffocated’ in TRS.

“They are asking us two Assembly seats- Warangal East and Parakal. We are continuing talks with them,” he reportedly told party seniors. On being questioned by mediapersons on this, Uttam said some of the seniors belonging to various parties, including the ruling party, were in touch with the Congress. “We will let you know about them at the appropriate time,” he added.

Surekha denies claims
Konda Surekha denied the statement made by the TPCC leadership about her alleged inclination towards Congress. Surekha alleged that Congress leaders were resorting to a mind-game with them. “Congress is a dead horse in the state. Like TDP, Congress will also vanish from the state’s political landscape by 2019. Why should we join such a party when we are very much happy in TRS?” she questioned. “If YSR gave us a political life, now, KCR has given us rebirth politically by inducting us into TRS.

We will continue to remain with the TRS till our last breath,” she asserted. However, a top leader in the TPCC, revealed that as Konda couple have differences with their arch rivals in Warangal- MLA Errabelli Dayakar Rao and his brother Pradeep Rao, within the TRS, they were in two minds whether to stay put or rejoin the Congress.