HYDERABAD: The storm created in Telangana TDP by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s presence at the wedding of the son of Andhra Pradesh minister Paritala Sunitha in Anantapur district recently, appears to be “raging”. Rao’s presence at the wedding of Sunitha’s son and his subsequent confabulations with TDP MLC Payyavula Keshav, a close aide of AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu, led to emergence of a new proposal for an alliance between the two parties in the 2019 general election. Irked by this development, Revanth Reddy, a vociferous critic of KCR, is understood to be exploring his ‘political options’.
According to sources, some senior TTDP leaders are in favour of a tie-up with TRS in order to improve the party’s strength in the Assembly. In return, TDP could help TRS win the trust and votes of Andhra settlers. R&B minister Thummala Nageswara Rao, who was earlier with TDP, and other leaders came up with this proposal.
As for TTDP, some senior leaders such as Mothkupalli Narsimhulu are openly backing this proposal but leaders belonging to the Reddy community, led by Revanth Reddy, are opposed to having any truck with TRS. Sources said Revanth Reddy told Chandrababu Naidu that such a proposal would be suicidal for TDP in TS as the “TRS will further eat into TDP’s vote bank.” At Sunday meeting held by Naidu with TTDP leaders here, Revanth told his party boss that if Congress and TDP joined hands, they can easily defeat TRS. It is learnt that Naidu had not given any assurance to Revanth that TDP would not join hands with TRS in the polls.
With no categorical assurance coming from his party chief, Revanth is said to be upset the way things are taking shape in the party. “Revanth told Naidu that if the party leadership was keen on a tie-up with TRS, he would quit the party and take his own political path. But Naidu assured him that no drastic political move would be taken by the party leadership,” a close aide of Revanth told Express.
Ready for talks withTDP: Thummala
Even as Revanth’s group is angry at the proposal for joining hands with TRS, R& B minister Thummala Nageswara Rao on Thursday openly expressed his willingness to hold negotiations with the TDP leadership for an electoral pact with the pink party.”If my party leadership gives green signal, I am ready to hold talks with TDP,” Rao said.
Revanth calls for oppn unity against CM
Opposing the proposal for an alliance with TRS, Revanth Reddy of TDP said, “All political parties, which oppose KCR’s undemocratic rule should join together. There is need for reunification of political forces against the CM,” he said.