In a major setback for Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Member of Parliament G Vivekanand and his brother former Minister G Vinod have returned to the Congress fold.They announced re-joining the Congress after meeting the party president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday.
Vivek, along with another MP Manda Jagannadham and senior party leader K Keshav Rao, had quit the Congress and joined the TRS last year protesting against the delay in formation of Telangana State.
While Vivek decided to return to the Congress after suffering humiliation in the TRS, Manda Jagannadham said that he would remain with the TRS. Similarly there was no possibility of Keshav Rao following Vivek as he has not only been made the secretary general of the party but has also been rewarded with the Rajya Sabha membership.
“There is no question my quitting the TRS. I am confident that the TRS will do justice Dalits. I will never get recognition for my services and sacrifices in the Congress”, said Manda Jagannadham.
Vivek and Vinod are sons of G Venkatswamy, who was a member of Congress Working Committee, a Minister in Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao’s Cabinets and also served as the state Congress president.
“Development of Telangana will be possible only under the Congress Government”, Vivek said defending his decision to rejoin Congress party. “Only Congress can fulfil the aspirations of Telangana people”. He profusely thanked the Congress president for withstanding immense pressure to fulfil the promise of Telangana State.
Reacting to Vivek’s re-joining the Congress, TRS floor leader in the State Assembly E Rajinder said that it will not have any impact on his party.“Such goings and comings are normal before the elections”, he said.
The resignation of Vivek and Vinod can also adversely affect the efforts of TRS to woo the Dalits in the state. TRS was already facing a lot of flak from the Dalits ever since the party went back on its promise of making a member of the community the first Chief Minister of the state.Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti President Manda Krishna Madiga has warned that if TRS goes back on its promise, his organization will not allow KCR to move around in Telangana.