HYDERABAD: Rebels trouble continues to dog the TRS in the municipal elections. Though Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had warned the rebels that they would be seeing the last of him if they continue to be in the fray but they do not seem to give two hoots.
Despite the trouble caused by these rebels, the TRS is confident of claiming a lion’s share of the civic bodies, though uncertainty gnaws at them as to what extent the rebels could dent the prospects of contestants in winning in wards in some urban local bodies.
For instance in Kollapur, the TRS rebels are contesting on All India Forward Bloc tickets in all the 20 wards. They are openly campaigning with the posters of former minister Jupally Krishna Rao, who has a running feud with MLA B Harshavardhan Reddy. Harshavardhan, who joined the TRS after winning the election on Congress ticket, reportedly allotted all the B forms for the 20 wards to candidates of his choice, ignoring Krishna Rao.
Division of votes The rebel trouble for the ruling party is also high in Yellandu municipality. All the rebels of TRS formed a group and fielded candidates in all the 24 wards of the municipality.
They are giving tough fight to the TRS candidates. The division of the pink party’s vote bank, if any, will definitely help the Opposition. The reason for rebellion in Yellandu is due to the differences between former chairperson of the municipality Ramavat Venkat Goud and MLA B Haripriya.
Despite rebel trouble, pink party confident of sweeping civic polls
In Mahabubabad municipality, three TRS rebels are in the fray. Initially, the TRS rebels were huge in number. However, after the two-day massive exercise taken up by TRS working president KT Rama Rao, the rebel trouble subsided at majority of places.
"We have succeeded in prevailing upon the rebels. Ninety per cent rebels withdrew their papers," a TRS leader said. There is no rebel trouble for the TRS in Dornakal, Thorrur, Bhupalpally and Parkal municipalities.
The party leaders successfully managed the rebels. However, in Narasampet municipality, the TRS is facing trouble in three wards. Five TRS rebels are in fray in Jangaon municipality. Similarly, most of the rebels withdrew their papers in the erstwhile Nalgonda district too, thanks to the efforts made by the Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy and other leaders.
TRS is facing rebel trouble in five out of 48 wards in Nalgonda, in three wards out of 48 wards in Miryalaguda, there are also two rebels in 20 wards in Devarakonda municipality. But, in Chandoor municipality, the TRS rebels are in fray in five out of total 10 wards. In Haliya, rebels are in five wards out of 12 wards, rebels in six wards out of 12 wards in Nandhikonda municipality.
The TRS rebels are in fray in 15 wards out of total 104 wards in six municipalities in the Bhuvanagiri municipality. But, there is no rebel trouble in Suryapet district for the TRS, which is a native place of Energy Minister Jagadish Reddy. The party leadership, however, is confident the crisis will blow over.
During an interaction with the media, TRS working president KT Rama Rao had said: "It is but natural that there would be too many aspirants for tickets in a party that has bright chances of winning. These pin-pricks would always be there and we can sort them out as we move forward.”"
(With inputs from the districts)