HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi has decided to support the candidature of Yashwant Sinha, the consensus Presidential candidate of 13 Opposition parties. TRS working president KT Rama Rao left for Delhi on Sunday so that he could be present when Sinha files his nomination papers on Monday for the Presidential elections.
According to a release from Rama Rao’s office, the TRS working president left for Delhi along with party floor leader in Lok Sabha Nama Nageswara Rao, MPs G Ranjith Reddy, KR Suresh Reddy, BB Patil, B Venkatesh Netha and K Prabhakar Reddy. All these leaders will be present when Sinha files his nomination papers.
The reason behind the show of TRS strength is believed to be an attempt to convey to the BJP that there would be no let-up in the pink party’s anti-BJP stand, even if it means supporting the candidature of Sinha who was once a prominent figure in the BJP.
It may be recalled here that no leader from TRS attended the meeting of Opposition parties convened twice by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for finalising the Presidential candidate. However, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar called Chief Minister and TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao on June 21 and sought his support for Sinha’s candidature.
The TRS announced its decision to support Sinha officially on Sunday, putting an end to the speculation that it may abstain from the election. Congress too is supporting Sinha’s candidature. Chandrasekhar Rao’s arch-rival and TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy, during his visit to Delhi on June 22, signed the nomination papers of Sinha.
However, the TRS support for Sinha’s candidature has now led to some fresh speculations. The moot question now is whether the pink party would maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress in the future too.