HYDERABAD: With the TRS leadership welcoming a drove of leaders from the BJP and Congress into the party, the question doing rounds in the pink party is how would Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao accommodate them.
While the new entrants are expecting nomination to the Legislative Council, there are plenty of TRS leaders who have been eyeing MLC posts for some time now.Three Council seats under MLA quota will fall vacant in March 2023 and two more under the Governor quota will fall vacant in May 2023.
According to sources, TRS legislature party secretary Ramesh Reddy, party secretary Sravan Kumar Reddy and former MLC Karne Prabhakar expect to be sent to the Council. However, “new” entrants like former Council chairman Swamy Goud, former MLA Nallala Odelu, former MLA Alair Budida Bikshamaiah and Dasoju Sravan, who recently rejoined the TRS too are expecting to be made MLCs.
On the other hand, sitting MLC Kurumaiahagari Naveen Kumar, who is quite close to Minister KT Rama Rao, is keen to get another term. The other MLC who will retire along with Naveen Kumar is Vullola Gangadhar Goud. It is almost certain that Gangadhar Goud would make way for another leader from the community. If sources are to be believed, Alimineti Krishna Reddy is also expected to be replaced.
In May, MLCs D Rajeswar Rao and Farooq Hussain will retire. If Farooq Hussain is replaced, that would mean that the TRS will have only one Muslim face left in the Council -- Home Minister Md Mahmood Ali.
After Boora Narsaiah Goud, who had represented Bhongir in the Lok Sabha in 2014, quit the party, the TRS is likely to make Budidha Bhikshamaiah Goud the candidate in 2024. Bhikshamaiah had been elected from Alair Assembly seat on Congress ticket in 2009. Alair is now represented by Gongadi Sunitha of the TRS.
Sources close to the party supremo believe that Rao will favour leaders who can help him strengthen the Bharata Rashtra Samithi nationwide. This would mean that Dasoju Sravan, who has the experience to participate in national-level discussions is likely to get a Council berth. Swamy Goud too may make it to the Council as he is familiar with employees and their issues and is also popular with them.
TRS party secretary Sravan Reddy, who has been at Rao’s side for almost a decade, is also likely to be accommodated. A senior TRS leader said that Sravan Reddy is considered very close to KT Rama Rao. TRSLP secretary Ramesh Reddy, who is also eyeing a Council berth, is considered close to the Chief Minister.