HYDERABAD: Even as the TRS is exerting pressure on the Centre for delimitation of Assembly seats in the State, the Opposition Congress is likely to prevail upon its Delhi bosses not to stop the process. The Congress is of the view that it is not beneficial for it that the number of seats in the existing 119 seat-Telangana Assembly increase. “This will only benefit the TRS which had encouraged defections from the Opposition parties like TDP and Congress with a promise to give them seats in the 2019 elections,’’ Congress sources said.
There are indications that the BJP might go in favour of delimitation of Assembly seats ahead of 2019 elections. The Congress sees this as a step that would benefit the TRS while the Congress has to search for strong candidates to be fielded from the newly-created constituencies.
The TPCC held a series of meetings on Tuesday including the party’s executive where the discussion on delimitation came up. Senior leaders, who weighed upon various options, felt that the party would not have the edge if the number of seats increase.
“We have decided to approach our national leadership to try and stall the process in the Rajya Sabha where the Congress has the numbers,’’ a party leader said.
Meanwhile, the party is trying to get more leaders of other parties, including the TRS, into its fold.
“Several leaders including some bigwigs and sitting TRS MLAs are in touch with us,’’ TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy said, adding that the joinings will increase after the Sankranthi festivities are over.
The party, meanwhile, is making all out efforts to bring AICC national president Rahul Gandhi to visit Warangal in the last week of January and the meeting is likely to be called ‘Dalit, Girijan and BC Atma Gourava Sabha.’
TRS M’nagar ZPTC member crosses over to Cong
In a boost to the Congress, more particularly in Mahbubnagar where the ruling TRS is attracting local Congress and TDP leaders into its fold, following the joining of Kodangal MLA A Revanth Reddy, TRS ZPTC member from Manvada Narayanamma and her followers in large numbers joined the Congress.
Also, MIM former corporator Bilal and his followers also joined Congress. Speaking on the sidelines, TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress will win all the MP and MLA seats in Mahbubnagar district in 2019 elections.