The TRS has launched a visible campaign to wean away the grass roots level leaders and workers of the party from former Minister Eatala Rajender in his home turf.
The person running the show is Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar, who began it all in Karimnagar on Friday by summoning the municipal and agricultural market committee chairmen and other elected representatives of Huzurabad and Jammikunta mandals of Huzurabad Assembly constituency represented by Mr. Rajender. The Minister extracted an assurance from all of them that the interests of the party and loyalty to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao were paramount to them.
Mr. Rajender is a six time MLA, initially from Kamalapur, and then from Huzurabad where he enjoyed complete sway over voters. With considerable support base in every village of the constituency, he earned a reputation as a mass leader since his debut in Assembly from Kamalapur in 2004. In fact, he steam rolled to become an MLA dislodging a powerful Minister of then Telugu Desam government Muddasani Damodar Reddy. It was a cakewalk for him in all subsequent elections following delimitation of constituencies and the segment renamed Huzurabad.
The TRS leadership apparently felt it was no mean task to bring to its side the vast network of Mr. Rajender after his removal from Cabinet which led to his confrontation with the party. By giving a free hand to Mr. Kamalakar whose very induction in Cabinet was seen as an attempt to keep a check on Mr. Rajender, the party started its attempt to isolate Mr. Rajender from the cadre pending an end to speculation whether he would resign or not from the party.
Sources said the party was keen that Mr. Rajender resign on his own but the latter waited for the leadership to take action against him, something that happened with Rajya Sabha member D. Srinivas, who continued in TRS despite strained relationship.
They added that Mr. Rajender might not hazard resignation at this stage because the party will deploy its full strength to defeat him in polls with ample time on hand as they were likely to be delayed like the recent postponement of elections of Legislative Council in view of CoOVID. In the meantime, the party could strengthen its position.
Mr. Kamalakar continued his consultations with party leaders from the constituency in Karimnagar on Saturday also.
