HYDERABAD: With 12 days to go for MLC elections under MLAs quota for five vacant seats, there is intense speculation that some Congress MLAs may switch loyalties to the ruling TRS. Though there is a talk in political circles that some Congress MLAs may extend their support to TRS in the Council polls, it looks like a bigger political drama will unfold in the coming days.
The TRS, which is determined to win all four seats it is contesting and also help its ally AIMIM win the remaining one, needs the support of an additional seven MLAs to ensure its clean sweep and to leave the Congress empty-handed. For winning each seat, the TRS needs votes of 21 MLAs. The TRS with the support of one nominated member, two Independents and seven AIMIM MLAs has 98 votes, falling short of seven votes of the total 105 required for it make a clean sweep.
If the TRS manages the support of seven Congress MLAs, then it will be a cakewalk for the pink party in the polls.The present strength of the Congress in the Assembly is 19. According to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, it requires at least two-third members of a legislature party to form a new political group or ‘merge’ with another party without getting disqualified under the anti-defection law. If 13 Congress MLAs switch loyalties to TRS then they would not be disqualified. Otherwise, they may face anti-defection law’s provisions.
Woman minister
Once there are defections from the Congress to the TRS, then one woman MLA from Congress is likely to be inducted into the Cabinet too.The grapevine has it that Maheswaram MLA and former Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy may soon join the pink bandwagon.
Interestingly, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced in the State Legislative Assembly that two women will be inducted into the Cabinet in the next expansion, in reply to Sabitha Indra Reddy’s suggestion to have a woman minister in the Cabinet.
Sabitha Indra Reddy also pointed that there was no woman minister in the Cabinet during his first term and she suggested that if one woman was inducted into the Cabinet this time, it would be better. Replying to this, Rao said that two woman would be inducted next time. Now, the talk in political circles is that Sabitha is likely to be one of the two women who would be inducted into the Cabinet.
“There has been a talk in the Congress that Sabitha may jump the fence to TRS. But, I cannot react officially now on hearsay,” a senior Congress leader told Express.Another senior Congress leader said that no leader would reveal his or her intentions to anyone until one takes a decision to change the loyalty another party.
Two advantages
There will be two advantages for Sabitha if she joins TRS. She may be inducted into the Cabinet. A four-time MLA Sabitha worked as Mines and Geology Minister between 2004-09 and Home Minister between 2009-14. She was the first woman Home Minister in combined AP. The then Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy used to call Sabitha as “Chevella Chellemma” (sister from Chevella).Another advantage is that Sabitha’s son Karthik Reddy may get TRS ticket to contest from Chevella in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
Sitting TRS MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy has joined Congress recently and the Congress may field him for the seat. If Sabitha stays in the Congress, Karthik Reddy would not get Congress ticket as Visveswara Reddy is now the hot favourite. “Sabitha may join TRS to ensure bright future for her son,” a leader pointed out.After the exit of Vishweshwar Reddy, the TRS too required a strong candidate to win the Chevella seat.
According to sources, TRS leadership is thinking of fielding a strong “Reddy” leader from Chevella and the TRS leadership is of the view that Karthik Reddy, son of a strong Telangana votary late Indra Reddy, is a suitable candidate. The talk of Sabitha joining TRS gained strength, as the ruling TRS too claimed immediately after the elections that around nine to 12 Congress MLAs were ready to join TRS.
TRS meetings postponed
The TRS Lok Sabha segment-wise meetings, which are scheduled to commence from March 1, have been postponed due to the tense situation at nation’s border. TRS working president KT Rama Rao said on Wednesday that they have decided to postpone the meetings. The next dates would be announced soon after consulting TRS president and CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, KTR said.