Even as Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) have ruled out any possibility of a pre-poll alliance, Congress seems to have accelerated its efforts to woo the TRS leaders. In a significant success, the two MPs who had left the Congress in protest against delay in announcing Telangana State and joined the TRS were on the verge of returning to the mother party.

While, G Vivekanand member of lok Sabha from Peddapally and his brother and former Minister G Vinod were in New Delhi meeting close aides of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Manda Jagannadham, MP from Nagarkurnool was also in touch with the Congress leaders.

A final decision was expected after Vivek meets Rahul. Significantly, G Vivek had met TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao just before he left for New Delhi. He was reportedly unhappy with the TRS leadership for ignoring and sidelining. He was also upset over the delay in TRS giving a clear-cut assurance on giving an Assembly ticket to his brother. Vivek and Vindo are sons of veteran Congress leader G Venkat Swamy who had walked out of the party in a huff. Congress leaders have also approached Venkat Swamy and urged him to return to Congress fold and also help in bringing back his sons.

Congress party has assured re-nomination to Vivek from his lok Sabha constituency and Assembly ticket to his brother from Chennur in Adilabad district, the constituency which he had represented in the past. To M Jagannadham also Congress has assured re-nomination from Nagarkurnool lok Sabha constituency in Mahbubnagar district. The party has also offered Assembly ticket to his son from Alampur Assembly constituency.

Meanwhile, the Congress has scored some success on other fronts. The TRS’ politburo member and most prominent minority leader Syed Ibrahim has joined Congress party. He resigned from TRS in protest against party’s refusal to nominate him and giving ticket to another leader Srinivas Goud from Mahbubnagar Assembly constituency. “This shows an anti-minority mindset of TRS leadership,” he alleged. The Congress has offered to field him from Mahbubnagar constituency. Similarly, the Congress has also wooed successfully TRS legislator from Aler Assembly A Nagesh.