Eatala Rajender is under tremendous pressure not to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at this time as it is likely to be a political suicide and will only give political advantage to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).
This is what the political leaders of various parties and groups expect now from Mr. Rajender.
A collective opinion of this line of thinking was conveyed to him by Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) chief M. Kodandaram and former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, who met him on Thursday.
In the wake of reports that BJP is wooing him but without any promise of a political post, the meeting of Mr. Kodandaram and Mr. Reddy with the rebel TRS leader assumed significance.
Mr. Kodandaram is said to have informed him that Mr. Rao’s wish would be fulfilled as he has politically convenient relationship with the BJP that would any day prefer Mr. Rao over Eatala.
Poor strength
First, Mr. Rajender will be sending a signal to Mr. Rao that he was frightened with all the charges and cases being booked against him and it will also give the TRS an opportunity to force a by-election in the near future. There is no way Mr. Rajender can win on the BJP platform given the party’s not so great strength in Huzurabad constituency.
“He will secure more votes if he contests as an Independent as people would see him as a political rival hounded by Mr. Rao, and Mr. Kodandaram made this scenario clear to him,” TJS political advisory committee member P. Srisail Reddy said. Mr. Vishweshwar Reddy apparently told Mr. Rajender that even if he wants to join BJP, he should clear his name from the allegations made against him.
Or else it will send a signal of seeking protection from the corruption charges.
“Don’t fall into KCR’s trap but take the fight to KCR’s den is what I suggested to him,” Mr. Reddy told The Hindu.
Mr. Vishweshwar Reddy said the former Health Minister looked more confident now than a couple of weeks ago as people believe that he is being hounded by Mr. Rao using all his power.
The more he is targeted, the more sympathy he will generate among the public.
Political leaders who have been meeting him say Mr. Rajender has all the potential to become a rallying point of anti-KCR forces in Telangana if he stays in TRS and fights back.
Mr. Vishweshwar Reddy argued that he should continue his demand for an enquiry by the CBI or a High Court judge to pressurise Mr. Rao.
“Attack is the best defence,” he told Mr. Rajender.
