Congress struggles to keep defection at bay in Nizamabad

NIZAMABAD: THE TPCC can’t seem to stop its elected leaders in Nizamabad from defecting to the TRS, despite having made them sign no-defection assurances at the time of the local body polls.

After the 2018 Assembly elections and the subsequent mass defection, the Congress party began choosing its candidates carefully. Elected representatives, including Yellareddy MLA J Surendar and his supporters, had joined the TRS back then.

Thereafter, the leadership told the cadre that they would provide tickets to them only if they sign assurances stating they would not resort to defection. This was done during the Parliamentary and local body polls. However, it wasn’t of much help to the party.

Though the vote share of the party increased during the civic polls in Nizamabad, it didn’t get many seats. Moreover, after filing nomination in the ZPTC election from Makloor mandal, the Congress candidate withdrew the same in support of the TRS. The BJP candidate also followed in the footsteps of the Congress.

Many ZPTCs, MPTCs and councillors who have quit the party recently had once signed the assurance letters. Several Congress leaders believe that these letters don’t have legal sanctity, and as a result, don’t help tackle turncoat politics.