HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leadership has managed to quell the rebellion, at least partially.
Four rebel leaders Saturday returned to the party fold and its chief K Chandrasekhara Rao promptly revoked their expulsion. However, some dissidents are still keeping away from the party and efforts appear to be on to persuade them to come back.
The four who turned up at the TRS office and shook hands with Rao were: former minister A Chandrasekhar, former MP Ravindra Naik, former MLC HA Rehman and senior leader R Uma Devi. It was not long ago that Naik was manhandled at the TRS office after he raised slogans against Rao. However, both camps agreed to bury the differences and work unitedly to strengthen the movement for a separate State.
The development came about after a local court suspended the TRS decision to expel the dissidents. TRS floor leader E Rajender and others called on A Chandrasekhar and other rebels this afternoon and invited them to return to the party fold. The rebels responded positively even as they maintained that the issues raised by them would be discussed in the party fora in the days to come. Some of the dissidents, including G Balakrishna Reddy, KK Mahender Reddy, Yennam Srinivasa Reddy and V Somireddy kept themselves away from the discussions. Commenting on this, A Chandrasekhar said, ‘‘We have decided to join the TRS. What others are going to do is for them to decide.’’
The other dissidents, however, said Chandrasekhar owed an explanation as to why he had chosen to go back.
Speaking to newsmen along with returners, K Chandrasekhara Rao alleged that Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy had engineered the rift in the party. ‘‘I urge the people of Telangana to forgive me for the developments over the past fortnight. We will work with renewed vigour henceforth. An action plan will be announced soon,’’ he said.