Another jolt for Cong as Haripriya Naik joins TRS
Koride Mahesh | TNN | Mar 11, 2019, 10:24 IST
Haripriya Naik HYDERABAD: Two days ahead of polling for the Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections for five seats under MLA quota, and on the day Lok Sabha election schedule was announced, the Congress suffered another blow on Sunday. Yellandu MLA Haripriya Naik announced her support to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and expressed her wish to contribute her bit for a "Golden Telangana".
Four Congress MLAs have quit the party and announced their open support to the ruling TRS in the past one week. Apart from these Congress MLAs, TDP MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah also quit his party. While two Congress MLAs, Atram Sakku and Rega Kantha Rao, announced their support to TRS on Saturday after meeting CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, a couple of days ago, another MLA from Nakrekal, Chirumarthi Lingiah, quit the party.
On Sunday, Haripriya decided to join the TRS. All of them are likely to join the TRS officially after the MLC elections, which will be held on March 12. In a statement, the Yellandu MLA said she was impressed by KCR's speech in the assembly recently, especially on the development of tribal areas. "If required, I am ready to quit Congress and contest elections on TRS B-form," she said.
Meanwhile, there has been a buzz in political circles that Maheshwaram Congress MLA Sabitha Indra Reddy met TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Sunday, along with her son Karthik Reddy, at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's residence at Shastripuram. The Congress MLA is seeking TRS ticket for her son Karthik Reddy from Chevella Lok Sabha seat. She had earlier sought Congress ticket for her son for the Rajendranagar assembly ticket, but she could not succeed.
The Congress party, this time too, reportedly turned down her request as TRS MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy joined Congress few months ago and party president Rahul Gandhi assured him to give an opportunity to contest from Chevella. TRS sources said the meeting was arranged by Asaduddin Owaisi and Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was also present. She reportedly assured support to TRS MLC candidates in the elections. Sabitha even expressed her readiness to contest from Chevella LS if TRS feels Karthik Reddy may not give a tough fight to Vishveshwar, and field her son from Maheshwaram in the event of her resignation.
KTR reportedly informed Sabitha that he would talk to TRS chief KCR. KTR also reportedly told Sabitha that in case Karthik is not given the LS ticket, she would be accommodated as a minister in the next cabinet expansion.
However, Sabitha denied meeting KTR on Sunday. "There has been a campaign against me that I am quitting Congress party and joining TRS for the past two months, especially on the social media. If there is any such development, I will share with the media first," Sabitha told TOI on Sunday evening. Asaduddin also refused to comment on the meeting with KTR.
Four Congress MLAs have quit the party and announced their open support to the ruling TRS in the past one week. Apart from these Congress MLAs, TDP MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah also quit his party. While two Congress MLAs, Atram Sakku and Rega Kantha Rao, announced their support to TRS on Saturday after meeting CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, a couple of days ago, another MLA from Nakrekal, Chirumarthi Lingiah, quit the party.
On Sunday, Haripriya decided to join the TRS. All of them are likely to join the TRS officially after the MLC elections, which will be held on March 12. In a statement, the Yellandu MLA said she was impressed by KCR's speech in the assembly recently, especially on the development of tribal areas. "If required, I am ready to quit Congress and contest elections on TRS B-form," she said.
Meanwhile, there has been a buzz in political circles that Maheshwaram Congress MLA Sabitha Indra Reddy met TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Sunday, along with her son Karthik Reddy, at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's residence at Shastripuram. The Congress MLA is seeking TRS ticket for her son Karthik Reddy from Chevella Lok Sabha seat. She had earlier sought Congress ticket for her son for the Rajendranagar assembly ticket, but she could not succeed.
The Congress party, this time too, reportedly turned down her request as TRS MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy joined Congress few months ago and party president Rahul Gandhi assured him to give an opportunity to contest from Chevella. TRS sources said the meeting was arranged by Asaduddin Owaisi and Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was also present. She reportedly assured support to TRS MLC candidates in the elections. Sabitha even expressed her readiness to contest from Chevella LS if TRS feels Karthik Reddy may not give a tough fight to Vishveshwar, and field her son from Maheshwaram in the event of her resignation.
KTR reportedly informed Sabitha that he would talk to TRS chief KCR. KTR also reportedly told Sabitha that in case Karthik is not given the LS ticket, she would be accommodated as a minister in the next cabinet expansion.
However, Sabitha denied meeting KTR on Sunday. "There has been a campaign against me that I am quitting Congress party and joining TRS for the past two months, especially on the social media. If there is any such development, I will share with the media first," Sabitha told TOI on Sunday evening. Asaduddin also refused to comment on the meeting with KTR.
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