HYDERABAD
Pumping of funds in a bypoll by the ruling party is the bait that Congress MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy is throwing to the cadre while trying to convince them to sail with him whenever he joins the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In the series of meetings he is holding with his followers, Congress leaders and the cadre in the Munugode constituency after he announced his desire to join the BJP to defeat the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the rebel Congress MLA is harping on this factor after seeing some opposition to changing the party. Several of his key followers are against joining the BJP as it is not a force to reckon with in the region and that contesting on BJP ticket is a huge political risk.
However, Mr. Raj Gopal Reddy is apparently ensuring that this argument doesn’t percolate down to the voter level and is trying to impress upon them the necessity to leave the party for the political survival of all. His only point of argument is that a bypoll is the only solution for all the financial problems and give a thrust to development as the ruling party would pump in huge funds like it did in Dubbak, Nagarjunasagar and Huzurabad bypolls.
Local leaders however argue that this bypoll, if it ever comes, would give little advantage to Mr. Raj Gopal Reddy as it is not thrust by the ruling party but by himself. In Huzurabad, voters viewed BJP candidate Eatala Rajender as a victim of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s suppressive politics and the sympathy worked for him.
In Dubbak, BJP won more on Mr. Raghunandan’s personal image than the party strength. The opponent, the wife of the late TRS MLA Ramalinga Reddy, was too weak while Mr. Raghunandan successfully generated the sympathy that he had lost earlier.
Congress leaders also remind that in Nagarjunasagar, a tall leader like K. Jana Reddy lost in the ‘money-muscle-caste’ combination, apart from sympathy for the son of late Nomula Narsimhaiah.
“In Munugode the sympathy factor is totally absent as the TRS never targeted him personally and he can’t even play a victim card like Mr. Eatala Rajender,” a senior leader said.
Several local Congress leaders also agree that Congress would be the biggest loser if he leaves the party even if he doesn’t win it back. It is like offering the sitting Congress seat to TRS or the BJP as there is no strong substitute for him within the Congress as of now. “The PCC leadership and the party high command must act swiftly to avoid the bypoll.”
“The damage to Congress is lesser if he stays but disastrous in Nalgonda district if he leaves.” Sources said Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy has been asked to convince his younger brother to avoid an unnecessary bypoll that might also impact him politically in future.
