HYDERABAD: For G Sayanna, TRS leader and MLA from Secunderabad Cantonment in the previous Assembly, re-election might not be as simple an affair as he would like. Last time, his campaign was a breeze but this time three elected members from his party in the Secunderabad Cantonment Board have decided to not extend him their support. The rebel leader reportedly feel ignored by the former MLA and have fell out with him over past couple of months.
The elected ward members have been sulking over the past few weeks, unhappy over Sayanna’s behaviour. Many feel this could gravely affect Sayyanna’s chances of winning the seat this time. It is learned from sources that three angry SCB members from TRS, out of seven, will extend their support to Congress candidate Sarve Satyanarayana.
A few weeks ago, senior TRS leader KT Rama Rao, having sensed trouble and dissent, met with SCB members from TRS in an attempt to win them back. The ward members, perhaps to not confront Rama Rao, or perhaps, in all honesty, assured that they would work for the party. But it was going to be so.
According to sources, Sarve Sathyanarayana conducted various meetings with elected members of SCB. He requested the board members to join Congress. After finishing the meeting with the Sarve, ward members from TRS held a meeting among themselves to discuss a course of action. In the meeting, these board members discussed how former MLA Sayanna was them. They came to the conclusion that they would not help him anymore. “Three elected TRS members have decided to join Congress. The remaining four TRS members will continue being in TRS,” said the source.
When Express contacted Sayanna, he admitted that Opposition party candidate had conducted a meet with some elected members seeking their support. However, he was quick to dismiss that he was in any kind of trouble.
“All of them will support me in the elections. I have conducted meetings with the ward members and have resolved prevailing issues. No one is going to join or support Congress,” he said.