HYDERABAD: If the grapevine is to be believed, the State will soon have two new political parties, floated by two serving MLAs from the Congress and BJP. According to the grapevine, these two MLAs are feeling quite suffocated in their respective parties and believe that floating their own outfits would yield better dividends than switching over to existing political outfits, for a host of reasons.
These two MLAs share quite a few similarities -- they were both elected to the Assembly for the first time in 2004 from the same party, both are in their late fifties, both are known to speak their mind, and both have been at odds with their party president during the course of their political careers.
Currently, both these leaders hold important positions in their respective parties. According to the grapevine, both these leaders have recently discussed their political future with their loyal supporters and close associates and have even met senior lawyers to discuss the modalities of forming a political party. The sources say that the two leaders, during their separate meetings with their lawyers, discussed the possibility of their party name having the word ‘Telangana’.
If sources are to be believed, these two leaders have not been in touch with each other regarding formation of their political parties, and the timing of their moves is purely coincidental.
Their associates say that both of them believe that the metamorphosis of the TRS into the BRS has created room for an outfit that carries with the ‘Telangana flavour’, and they can tap the Telangana sentiment. Both these leaders believe that with the BRS focusing on expanding into other States, they can tell the people that it is they who would be fighting for Telangana and the issues it faces.
Both these leaders believe that the name change of the TRS into BRS has left a vacuum in State politics which the Telangana Jana Samithi, led by Prof Kodandaram, is unable to fill, as proven in the last elections.
According to sources, both these leaders have been getting in touch with former MLAs, MPs and other senior leaders who are feeling suffocated in their respective parties and inviting them to join hands.
Sources close to both these leaders say that announcements on the registration of the two parties are expected to be made after February 15.