HYDERABAD: A day after Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu exuded confidence that TDP would play a crucial role in the formation of next government in Telangana, two important TDP leaders from Telangana joined the Congress on Friday.
Vanteru Pratap Reddy and K Madan Mohan Rao joined the Congress in the presence of AICC president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Friday.
Vanteru Pratap Reddy had unsuccessfully contested against Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in Gajwel Assembly segment in 2014 elections. K Madan Mohan Rao is a close relative of TRS leader Erraballi Dayakar Rao.
Besides the two, Osmania University student leader Prithviraj Yadav, Telangana Progressive Recognised Teachers’ Union state president Harsha Vardhan Reddy also joined the Congress. TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Telangana Congress incharge RC Kuntia and former Minister Sunita Laxma Reddy too were present.
Speaking to reporters later in Delhi, TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy said that Pratap Reddy, Madan Mohan and 60 others joined Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. “With the joining of these strong leaders, the Congress will be strengthened further,” PCC chief said. Uttam added that even the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) tried to lure Pratap Reddy, but he joined Congress. ‘’The TRS even threatened Pratap Reddy and jailed him,’’ Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged.
Former minister Shabbir Ali alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had no administrative experience. “How is it that the Chief Minister, who has not been coming to Secretariat for the last one year, is running the administration?” Ali questioned.
Motkupalli blasts Naidu, calls him anti-Dalit
Hyderabad: The TDP has no presence in Telangana and the party now resembles a graveyard, TDP Telangana unit leader and former minister Motkupalli Narasimhulu said on Friday. He launched a blistering attack on party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu for encouraging “fools” like A Revanth Reddy. This comes on a day when two important leaders from TDP joined the Congress. The senior leader even heaped praises on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. ‘’I have worked hard for TDP and it took a toll on my health. Yet, I was ignored for Mahanadu and was not invited,’’ he told reporters, and termed Chandrababu Naidu ‘anti-Dalit.’ “Two Madiga youths died during Naidu’s padayatra in Nizamabad but he did not care for their families. Naidu claimed himself as a Pedda Madiga but did not do any follow-up on categorisation of SCs,” he alleged.