NIZAMABAD: After several failed attempts, the TRS has finally become successful in getting senior Congress leader and former Assembly speaker KR Suresh Reddy to join the pink party. This shocker to the Congress has come against the backdrop of the party preparing to field Suresh Reddy as a party candidate from the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency in the coming elections. He rejected the proposal and, finally, has decided to join the TRS.
In fact, efforts had been made much earlier to make him join the TRS. Soon after the elections in 2014 he was invited to join the TRS and offered Rajya-Sabha seat. Due to several reasons he rejected the invitation. Later, another senior Congress leader D Srinivas joined the TRS for the RS seat. It was not just the TRS that had been vying for Suresh Reddy. BJP leaders too sent feelers to him but Reddy turned down all the offers. The situation now is reverse with D Srinivas ready to quit the TRS and rejoin Congress. To make up the loss, the TRS had been eyeing Reddy.
Reddy’s supporters are confident that Suresh Reddy will be fielded from either Armoor or Balkonda Assembly constituency in place of A Jeevan Reddy or Vemula Prashanth Reddy who have been announced as the TRS candidates. Both are KCR’s strong loyalists. Several followers of the former speaker have already joined the TRS in the two segments.
Some TRS leaders think that in the event of TRS returning to power, the party will need an experienced leader for the Assembly speaker post and Suresh Reddy would fit the bill.Suresh Reddy ’s family has been Congress supporters for the last three generations. His father KR Govind Reddy was murdered by Naxalites.