Hyderabad: The Congress in Telangana on Monday declared that it would boycott the MLC election scheduled for Tuesday, and accused the ruling TRS of poaching four of its MLAs and a TDP legislator.
In the election to fill five vacancies in the Council, the TRS has fielded four nominees, leaving one seat to its ally AIMIM.
The Congress and TRS have been engaged in a war of words on the issue of MLAs moving to the ruling party.
“We are boycotting elections because of unconstitutional behaviour of the TRS and its chief. Respecting the traditions of the legislature system we supported ruling party at the time of elections of assembly speaker and Dy Speaker. By knowing their strength, the TRS put up a fifth candidate. It clearly indicates they are purchasing our MLAs,” said TPCC Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy.
He was referring to the announcement of Congress MLAs — Rega Kantha Rao, Atram Sakku, Chirumarti Lingaiah and Haripriya Naik — and a TDP MLA (Sandra Venkata Veeraiah) to join TRS in the interest of development of their constituencies.
Responding to Reddy's comments that the TRS 'purchased' its MLAs, the TRS had referred to instances of public representatives joining Congress from other parties and asked if that too was a "purchase".
Party sources told News18 that if the Congress loses the MLC elections, it will have a demoralising effect on the cadre which will reflect badly in the parliament elections. Thus, the sources added, the party plans to boycott MLC elections instead of facing a defeat.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate Guduru Narayana Reddy filed his nomination in the MLC election as the party feels it is in a position to win the seat with the support of two TDP members.
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