Telangana Congress, which saw defections to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) all these years, successfully attracted the Mancherial Zilla Parishad chairperson of the TRS, Nallala Bhagyalakshmi and her husband and three-time MLA, Nallala Odelu into its fold.
Both of them joined the Congress in New Delhi in the presence of AICC general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi. TPCC chief, A. Revanth Reddy and former Deputy Chief Minister, Damodar Rajanarsimha were also present.
The political development is interesting given the fact that a sitting Zilla Parishad Chairperson of the ruling TRS has joined the Congress though she still had a two-year tenure. She followed her husband and former MLA from Chennur constituency, Nallala Odelu, who decided to quit the party apparently owing to differences with the sitting MLA, Balka Suman.
Mr. Odelu travelled with Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao ever since he started the TRS in 2001 and won two consecutive general elections in 2009 and 2014. In 2010, he resigned at the peak of the Telangana movement along with other TRS MLAs and got elected. He was elevated as the Government Whip in 2014 given his seniority and commitment to the party. However, he was denied a ticket in the 2018 elections paving way for Balka Suman, who was the sitting MP from Peddapalli then.
Welcoming them, TPCC president, A. Revanth Reddy said the former MLA joined the party impressed by the Warangal Declaration for farmers and on the call given by Mr. Rahul Gandhi. He said Mr. Odelu belongs to the Madiga community, the highest number among the Scheduled Castes in Telangana and the party would be strengthened by his entry.
Mr. Odelu is disillusioned with the injustice done to Madigas by the TRS government that failed to implement the SC categorisation. Moreover, he was not happy with the government as Adilabad district was denied its rightful share in development.
Mr. Reddy said people were waiting to oust the ‘incompetent and corrupt’ government of the TRS as they had realised that only Congress can serve the interests of Telangana sincerely.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Mr. Odelu said he had resigned from the TRS along with his wife and ZP chairperson. He alleged that outsiders have captured the TRS while people like him who were with the party since its inception are neglected. After denying the MLA ticket to him the party made his wife the ZP chairperson but without any powers or protocol to serve people.
Mr. Odelu also accused Chief Minister, K. Chandrashekhar Rao of promoting anti-Telangana voices giving prominence to them in the Cabinet. He also alleged that the sitting MLA Balka Suman was harassing him and giving open threats apart from snooping over his activities.
The former MLA said the Warangal Declaration had raised new hopes among the battered farmers and said they were looking to the Congress for solace. He was confident that Mr. Revanth Reddy will lead the party to power in the ensuing elections.
