Senior TRS minister set to join BJP

Hyderabad: Senior Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) legislator and former health minister Eatala Rajender, who was sacked form the state cabinet on May 2 following allegations of land encroachments, is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a day or two, a person aware of the development said

Hyderabad: Senior Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) legislator and former health minister Eatala Rajender, who was sacked form the state cabinet on May 2 following allegations of land encroachments, is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a day or two, a person aware of the development said.

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Rajender, who left for New Delhi on Sunday evening, met BJP national president JP Nadda along with state BJP president Bandi Sanjay and party in-charge of Telangana affairs Tarun Chugh on Monday night.

The 57-year-old leader held discussions with Nadda for more than an hour over the recent developments in the state. “Rajender raised certain clarifications from the BJP chief, who assured him that he would get the due respect and recognition in the BJP. Nadda asked him to take an early decision on joining the party,” a senior BJP leader familiar with the development said.

In the meeting, Rajender reportedly expressed doubts over the possibility of the BJP adopting a soft corner towards the TRS, citing TRS president and chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s friendly relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“However, Nadda told Rajender that the BJP would go all out against the TRS in the state as it had done in West Bengal. Our aim is to capture power in Telangana in the next elections and there is no doubt about it,” the BJP leader said.

Rajender is expected to return to Hyderabad on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning and announce his decision to join the BJP. But before that, he will have to resign from the primary membership of the TRS and also his assembly seat. Another senior TRS leader and former MLA Enugu Ravinder Reddy, who also accompanied Rajender to Delhi, is likely to join the BJP, the person cited above said.

Senior TRS leader and member of legislative council Palla Rajeshwar Reddy said Rajender has “dug his own grave” by deciding to join the BJP. “He came from a Communist background. Now, he is mortgaging his Communism with the saffron party,” Reddy criticised.

Stating that the TRS had groomed several leaders in the last 20 years, Reddy said nobody in the party enjoyed so many positions like Rajender. “He was never without any position or post. He has betrayed the party and ridiculed the government schemes. You will pay heavy penalty for the same,” the TRS leader said.

Rajender, who represents Huzurabad assembly constituency in northern Telangana, has been associated with the TRS since 2003 and held several important positions including party floor leader in the assembly, besides being the first finance minister of Telangana. During the second term of the TRS, Rajender was given the medical and health portfolio.

According to political analysts, though Rajender has been loyal to the party for the last 18 years, there have been reports of serious differences between him and the party leadership on several issues. On multiple occasions, Rajender expressed his displeasure over the alleged humiliation meted out to him and other ministers by the chief minister.

The cold war between Rajender and the TRS leadership culminated in stripping of his medical and health portfolio on May 1, when reports of his alleged land grabbing in Medak district surfaced in a section of local media. A day later, Rajender was sacked from the cabinet, following a report submitted by Medak collector confirming the allegations.

Rajender has alleged that the TRS leadership unleashed a smear campaign against him and resorted to his character assassination. He said he was ready to face an investigation by a sitting judge or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In the last few weeks, Rajender met several leaders from different parties, including working chief of state Congress A Revanth Reddy and Congress Legislature Party floor leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, besides former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, who was formerly with the Congress and is now an Independent, and Telangana Jana Samithi leader M Kodandaram, seeking their support to fight against the KCR government.

He also met state BJP president Bandi Sanjay, Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy and others to discuss his future options.

Union minister G Kishan Reddy said all party leaders will welcome Rajender’s entry into the BJP. “He had gone to Delhi only after consulting me and other senior BJP leaders. We shall hold a meeting with all the state BJP leaders and take them into confidence before Rajender joins the BJP,” he said.