Blow to TRS as minister's brother quits

Hyderabad, Aug 7 : In a blow to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao's brother Errabelli Pradeep Rao on Sunday announced his resignation from the party.

Pradeep Rao, former Chairman of Warangal Urban Cooperative Bank, has been unhappy with the party for denying him ticket to contest the Assembly election and for not nominating him to the Legislative Council.

He also told the media that despite facing insults, he still remained in the party, but the party did not give him an MLA ticket. "The party did not even care about my followers. We made many sacrifices for Bangaru Telangana," he said.

Pradeep Rao said the local MLA humiliated him on several occasions and no party leader condemned this.

Rao, who is likely to join the BJP, said that he would join a party where he would get respect or contest as an independent.

Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy had recently announced his decision to join the BJP. Congress party's national spokesman Dasoju Sravan also quit the party and joined the BJP.

Pradeep Rao was one of the key leaders in the Warangal district and had joined the TRS much before Dayakar Rao shifted his loyalties to the ruling party.

He was an aspirant of TRS ticket from Warangal East Assembly constituency both in 2014 and 2018.

In 2018, he was even ready to contest as independent candidate but the leadership pacified him with an assurance to give him a key post.

There has been a cold war between Pradeep Rao and Warangal East MLA Nannanpuneni Narendar. Followers of the two leaders had clashed with each other on several occasions.

Flexis installed by Pradeep Rao during TRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao's visit were allegedly removed by supporters of Nannanpuneni Narendar.

Sensing that he will not get TRS ticket for 2023 Assembly polls either, Pradeep decided to quit.

The party is likely to field again or give ticket to either MLC Baswaraju Saraiah or to MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra.