TRS MP resigns, big jolt ahead of Assembly polls

In a huge setback to Telanganas ruling TRS ahead of next months Assembly elections, its MP K. Vishweshwar Reddy on Tuesday announced his resignation from the party as well as Parliament.

Vishweshwar Reddy sent a letter to Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K. Chandrasekhar Rao, stating that he was compelled to take the decision.

A member of the Lok Sabha from Chevella constituency, Vishweshwar Reddy wrote in his letter that the party was not doing justice to the those who fought for statehood to Telangana.

"I fought for the party in 2014 when the party needed me. However, the party has inducted people who were against Telangana and our ideology into the cabinet and given them more power and prominence. I feel people who were fighting for Telangana and share a common ideology including me are no longer needed in the party," he said.

Vishweshwar Reddy, a tech honcho and grandson of former Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy, had joined TRS on the eve of the 2014 elections and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chevella.

Vishweshwar Reddy is the husband of Sangeetha Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals, one of the largest private hospital groups in the country.

With family assets of Rs 528 crore declared in 2014, he is the richest MP from Telangana.

Reddy told KCR that that he joined the party and contested the elections with the hope and enthusiasm at his invitation.

He stated that during last years the party distanced itself from people.

He said he had reasons at personal, constituency, state and party levels behind his decision. "I tried to maintain a fair and selfless stance on all issues despite provocation.

"I am powerless within the party and because of the tenets of good behaviour for a party member I could not speak out or take action. Furthermore, my multiple attempts to resolve issues or at least come to terms with them failed.

"Since I am unable to acquiescence with the current scenario, I feel the best possible path for me is to resign from the party. I will also resign from the Lok Sabha," he added.

It was immediately not clear if Vishweshwar Reddy will join any other party.

The development came close on the heels of the prediction by Congress' Telangana unit working President Revanth Reddy that two TRS MPs would quit the party and join the Congress.

Interestingly, Vishweshwar Reddy and another TRS MP A. Seetaram Naik had denied reports in a section of media that they were planning to quit.

Elections to the 119-member Telangana Assembly are scheduled on December 7.

Last month, TRS leader and Rajya Sabha member D. Srinivas had called on Congress president

Rahul Gandhi to express his desire to return to the Congress.

--IANS

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