TRS, YSR Congress woo suspended TDP leader
Hyderabad, May 26 (IANS) After being suspended Tuesday from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the party's politburo member and senior leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy is mulling his future action as opposition parties are wooing him.
Nagam began consultations with his colleagues and followers Thursday as Telanga Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and YSR Congress party initiated efforts to woo him to their ranks. But the former minister is keeping his cards close to his chest.
With the TDP also planning to urge assembly Deputy Speaker N. Manohar to disqualify Nagam as legislator, the senior leader from Mahabubnagar district is contemplating to quit the assembly.
Two TDP legislators from the Telangana region, Harishwar Reddy and Jogi Ramna, have already thrown their weight behind Nagam. Harishwar has even claimed that 25-30 legislators would join hands with them.
Nagam, who served as minister for 12 years in the Andhra Pradesh cabinets led by the late N.T. Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu, told reporters that he would decide on his future action after consultations with other like-minded leaders and followers.
At its emergency meeting Tuesday night, the TDP politburo suspended Nagam for what it called anti-party activities.
For the last few days, the senior leader had been targeting party president Chandrababu Naidu for his "u-turn" on the demand for separate Telangana state. He even organised two public meetings without party flag.
"I only want Mr. Naidu to abide by the stand taken by the party before last elections," said Nagam.
Continuing his tirade against Naidu, he said by suspending him Naidu had proved himself a leader of seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions).
He said if Naidu goes on suspending leaders for raising the demand for Telangana, the party would have no future in Telangana.
Meanwhile, TRS leader Jitender Reddy called on Nagam and reportedly requested him to join the party. YSR Congress party leader Gone Prakash Rao also called on the suspended TDP leader to join the newly-floated outfit.