YSR Cong, TRS attempt to lure Nagam

With senior TDP leader from Telangana being suspended from the party, the YSR Congress Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Thursday began efforts to lure him into their party folds.

If indications are to be believed, the YSR Congress Party took the first step towards further strengthening its base in Telangana when its leader Gone Prakash Rao visited Mr Janardhan Reddy at the latter’s residence.

However, Mr Prakash Rao told media persons after the meeting that his visit was purely personal and there was not much political importance.

Political analysts do however attach immense significance to the meeting. According to sources, Mr Janardhan Reddy is quite likely to join the YSR Congress party and become its ‘face of Telangana’.

Sources say that YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy will soon state that he would stand by his late father YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s statement in the Assembly on Telangana.

If Mr Janardhan Reddy does join the YSR Congress, it would be of immense political advantage to hte party in Telangana region. “The move would mostly likely finish, if not substantially damage the Congress party in Telangana,” a source stated.

Mr Janardhan Reddy would also be able to come out of the corner he had been pushed into by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi over the issue of fighting for Telangana under the TDP flag and the attempts to cast doubt on his commitment on the separate statehood issue.

According to sources, the TRS has already realised the implications of Mr Janardhan Reddy joining hands with Mr Jaganmohan Reddy and had rushed a leader Jitender Reddy to meet him.

Mr Jitender Reddy hailed Mr Janardhan Reddy for successfully ‘escaping from the Seemandhra leaders’ conspiracy while he was in the TDP before media persons.

However, sources say that the TRS leader had, inside closed doors, appealed  to Mr Janardhan Reddy to join the TRS and work for the separate statehood agitation.

Mr Janardhan Reddy put off giving a concrete answer by saying that he would take a decision after discussing his future with the people of his constituency