As the nomination date is fast approaching for the Telangana assembly elections, more speculations are doing rounds in the political circles about defections and jumping of leaders from one party to another.
Even as the speculation over the defection of former MLA from Munugode Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy turning out to be true, a fresh speculation has surfaced in the Telangana politics on Wednesday – about the defection of Telangana Telugu Desam Party leader Kasani Gyaneshwar into the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
According to these speculations, Kasani was terribly upset with the apparent decision of the TDP leadership not to contest the assembly elections in Telangana on the pretext of a crisis situation prevailing in the party in Andhra Pradesh.
Kasani was strongly hoping to contest the elections, as he believed that the TDP has the strength of winning two or three seats because of the support TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu enjoyed among the urban voters and settlers.
Though the TDP’s decision not to contest the elections in Telangana is believed to be as part of an indirect understanding to help the BJP, Kasani is said to be of the view that the decision would indirectly help the Congress, rather than the BJP.
He reportedly told his followers that he had joined the TDP with a strong faith in Naidu’s leadership, strived hard to revive the party in Telangana and spent huge amount on the party.
“But Naidu has mortgaged the party in Telangana and self-respect of the cadres with the Congress party. He has asked us not to contest the elections to benefit the Congress,” he reportedly told his followers.
Kasani, who hails from Mudiraj community, said his community was deeply hurt with the decision. He is expected to announce his resignation from the TDP and may defect to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi shortly.
It was only on Tuesday that Kasani denied the reports that the TDP would be dropping out of the contest in Telangana. He even dismissed the reports that the TDP would support the Congress in the upcoming elections.
He reminded that the TDP was established by their party founder N.T. Rama Rao to fight against the Congress and that they would stick to it. In Telangana, the TDP is stronger than the Congress, he averred.
Kasani said that election candidates who were fearing that they would have to face rout if the TDP would go for polls were behind such rumours.
