Till a few months ago, former state minister and Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender and state finance minister T Harish Rao were very good friends.
Both of them used to share common thoughts and have strong support base in their respective constituencies.
After Rajender was hounded out of the TRS and was forced to join the BJP, the relations between him and Harish Rao completely strained.
With TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao entrusting to Harish the task of spearheading the party campaign in Huzurabad by-elections, Rajender and Harish Rao have become bitter enemies.
Under the directions of KCR, Harish Rao went all out against Rajender in the constituency.
Harish managed to isolate Rajender by attracting all his associates by threatening them or buying them.
He also spent huge money to defeat Rajender at any cost, while attacking the latter during the campaign.
In spite of all the efforts, Rajender managed to win the Huzurabad by-elections with handsome margin, dealing a moral blow to the TRS in general and Harish Rao in particular.
It is a huge setback to Harish Rao personally, as he is considered to be a trouble-shooter for KCR.
Now, that Rajender has won the by-election, he wants to give it back to Harish Rao in the latter’s own bastion -- Siddipet.
He virtually threw a challenge to the state finance minister, addressing the people at Siddipet on his way to Hyderabad on Diwali day.
He regretted that Harish had taken the side of injustice and illegitimate side and tried to defeat him Huzurabad by pumping in money and liquor.
“The day is not far off, when Harish will fall victim to his own wily tactics of distributing money and liquor,” he warned.
Rajender announced that he would organise a massive meeting of Dalits at Siddipet very soon.
“I will take the lead of the Dalits in Siddipet by organising Dalita Garjana rally in Harish’s constituency,” he warned.
He alleged that Harish Rao, claiming himself to be trouble shooter for the party, had started poking his nose into the affairs of all the other constituencies.
“He thought he is a big schemer and planner. But the people of Huzurabad dealt a heavy blow to his ego,” Rajender said.