The leakage of reports from New Delhi that the Congress party has allotted Jangaon assembly seat to Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) as part of seat sharing deal in Maha Kootami has led to strong protests from the camp of former Pradesh Congress Committee president and ex-minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah.
According to reports, TJS president Prof M Kodandaram is likely to contest from Jangaon assembly seat; and so, the Congress party is contemplating allotting another seat like Warangal (West) to Ponnala. This has caused a lot of heart burn in Ponnala and his followers.
He reportedly told the Congress high command that it was not proper to allocate Jangaon seat to Reddy community, as it has a large number of BCs. If he was denied the ticket, there was a possibility of strong revolt from the BCs, he said.
Taking advantage of the disgruntlement in Ponnala camp, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi leadership is learnt to have sent feelers to lure him into its camp.
Apparently, the TRS leadership is learnt to have offered to give him Jangaon MLA seat and if he wins the seat, he would be made finance minister.
However, Ponnala is learnt to have asked the messengers from the TRS that he would consider the offer, if TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao directly spoke to him and extend the invitation.
In the meantime, the Congress high command is also trying to pacify Ponnala so that he would not leave the party.