There has been a huge demand from political leaders of various parties in Telangana to join TRS all these days. But the situation now appears to have been reversed.
TRS witnessed such a huge migration of leaders from other parties, especially after the formation of Telangana State and TRS coming to power in Telangana in 2014, that the 'car' (TRS election symbol) became overloaded.
Right from MPs, MLAs to MLCs from other parties such as Congress, TDP, BJP, to the level of sarpanches, MPTCs, ZPTCs, etc., leaders cutting across party lines made a beeline to join TRS.
However, TRS is now witnessing a 'reverse migration' of leaders, that too at a time when Assembly polls are just five months away in December this year.
Former TRS MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy from Khammam district and former TRS minister Jupally Krishna Rao from Mahabubnagar district are said to have decided to join Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Delhi either on June 25 or by the end of this month, depending on the availability of Rahul Gandhi.
Apart from these two big leaders, two more TRS MLCs, Patnam Mahender Reddy from Rangareddy district and Kuchukulla Damodar Reddy from Mahabubnagar district, are also said to be joining Congress along with Ponguleti and Jupally.
Mahender Reddy wants to contest on the TRS ticket from the Tandur Assembly seat again, but KCR reportedly decided to give the ticket to sitting MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy, who defected from Congress to TRS.
This made Mahender Reddy angry and forced him to make a decision to join Congress.
Similarly, Kuchukulla Damodar Reddy wants the TRS ticket either for himself or his son to contest from the Nagarkurnool Assembly seat.
But KCR reportedly promised the ticket to TRS sitting MLA Marri Janardhan Reddy, and this is said to have prompted Damodar Reddy to make a decision to join Congress.
The buzz in political circles is that a greater number of TRS leaders, including MLAs, who will be denied tickets, are expected to join either Congress or BJP, depending on which party would offer them tickets to contest the upcoming Assembly polls.
TRS leadership is reportedly worried about the 'reverse migration' of leaders at a time when Assembly elections are near.