Hyderbad, August 02: Coming under pressure from the rebels over his `dictatorial’ attitude, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhara Rao decided to run the party under the collective leadership. He gave enough hints to that effect to the party leaders at the first meeting of the newly-constituted Politburo, which was held here today. Rao left the meeting halfway giving a chance to the members to discuss the issues freely in his absence.
Capt Lakshmikantha Rao chaired the meeting after Rao left the TRS Bhavan.
However, the Politburo decided to wait and watch the situation over the reports of party MP Vijayashanti leaving the party. The party constituted a a three-member committee for holding talks with all the dissident leaders. Rao included S Ramulu Naik in the Politburo taking the total members to 24.
TRS president set the agenda for the meeting and wanted his colleagues to discuss all the issues threadbare and take unanimous decisions.
The committee’s decisions would be implemented with true spirit in the party, Rao averred.
“Some of the leaders demanded collective leadership and they alleged I am behaving like a dictator, some of the leaders blamed my family members too. In these circumstances, the Politburo should discuss all the issues openly,’’ Rao felt. He assured the leaders that he would run the party as decided by the Politburo. The meeting continued till late in the night.
Former ministers A Chandrasekhar, K Vijayarama Rao, T Padmarao and several other leaders pointed out the mistakes committed by the party leadership right from 2008 byelections.
Vijayarama Rao wanted TRS chief to own up responsibiilty for the mess in the party.
Padmarao questioned Rao on why he failed to give tickets to 16 MLAs who resigned as directed by him chief and forced a byelection in 2008.
“Why have you played with the lives of MLAs,’’ he reportedly questioned Rao.
They questioned the several `unilateral’ decisions taken by him, according to sources. Disclosing the deliberations of the Politburo, Laxmikanth Rao said that they would release the resolutions tomorrow.
The party would seek clarification from Vijayashanti on reports of her plans to quit the party.
Mahendar Reddy quits TRS, likely to join Congress
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi received another major jolt today with the party founder-member K K Mahendar Reddy sending his resignation to the party leadership.
The leader was very close to TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao till the just concluded elections. Reddy contested as a rebel candidate against Chandrasekhar Rao’s son K T Ramarao in Siricilla Assembly constituency in the last elections where he lost the election with a thin margin of 176 votes. Though Reddy has been associating himself with rebel leaders in the party in the recent past, he is likely to join the Congress.
Few days back he met Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. TRS Warangal district president P Sudharshan Reddy also resigned for the party post.
–Agencies–