HYDERABAD: Going by the audio clip that was made public by the TRS on Friday, some senior Congress leaders too were on the radar of the BJP if its attempt to poach four pink party MLAs met with success.
If one were to accept the audio clip to be genuine, the discussions veer to more defections and the participants say that senior Congress leaders, including a former Union Minister, a former MP and two
former MLAs were ready to join the BJP.
Going by the audio clip, the person who is addressed as “Nandu” says that a former Union Minister, a former MP and two former MLAs are ready to join BJP, to which the “Swami” at the other end says that this “operation” will be part of the “second phase” after the successful completion of the “first phase which involves TRS MLAs”.
The fact that the audio clip has been leaked at a time when the grand old party’s senior leader Rahul Gandhi is on his Bharat Jodo Yatra in the State has stunned the Telangana Congress, and its leaders are
scratching their heads trying to figure out who these four senior leaders are.
Some hardcore Congress leaders narrowed down the list of potential defectors. Going by the list, several MPs served as Union Ministers as well as Minister of State in the UPA regime up to 2014, of which three are from Telangana and four from Andhra Pradesh.
One of these seven has been suspended from the party and no other leader is not interested to move to the BJP, believe the Congress veterans.
Regarding the former MP, the veterans believe a particular person, who had been elected two times to Parliament was unhappy with the party’s State leadership.
Sources said that this leader has maintained a good rapport with key BJP leaders. “He is expecting the LB Nagar Assembly ticket. If the saffron party promises him this seat, he would move to the BJP, or else continue to remain in Congress,” a senior leader told TNIE.
As for the former MLAs, there are a handful who will jump ship to the BJP, provided it wins in Munugode, which is highly unlikely, the Congress veteran said.
Sources said that the Congress State leadership is carefully observing the farmhouse episode and focusing on Munugode and the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Officially, Telangana Congress leaders said no one from the party will join the BJP. “Some of those who joined the BJP are very unhappy there. In fact, after the Munugode result, some key BJP leaders will join
the Congress” said a senior leader.