NALGONDA: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) suffered a major blow with the joining of its district unit present and former MLA Tippana Vijayasimha Reddy with his parent Congress party at Miryalaguda on Monday.

Accompanied by a large section of his supporters, Mr. Reddy joined the Congress in the presence of Home Minister K. Jana Reddy and State Trading Corporation Chairman Repala Srinivas at a public meeting.

Mr. Reddy, son of Tippana China Krishna Reddy, who had played an active role in the then Telangana agitation, won the Miryalaguda Assembly constituency in 1989. In the previous Assembly elections, he tried his luck on TRS ticket but in vein. He stood third by securing 45, 381 votes. His father had won the seat in 1962, 67 and 72.

Mr. Vijayasimha Reddy was bedridden for about three months following a major road accident while on his way back to Nalgonda after participating in a car rally took out by the TRS at the capital a couple of years ago. The second rung leaders were reportedly never happy with him "since he confined himself to his home town Miryalaguda."

Only on Thursday, he chaired a party meeting at Nalgonda where a section of TRS leaders asked him to refute the "speculation" that he was going to join the Congress. However, Mr. Reddy and his supporters shouted at them for demanding an explanation from him on "baseless media reports." The party top leader A.Narendra also had a tête-à-tête with Mr.Reddy to discourage him from leaving the movement.

Mr. Vijayasimha Reddy, who has been waiting for a right time to join the ruling party, met Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy last week in the wake of panchayat elections. Sensing his moves, the TRS leadership had announced his expulsion from the party and asked party MLA from Alair K. Nagesh to take charge of the party affairs in Nalgonda on Sunday night.

Cadre intact: Nagesh

Mr. Nagesh said that Mr. Reddy's decision to join hands was not a big blow for the party. "We are not going to lose anything due to his decision. Our cadre is intact. In huge movements, such things (desertions) are common," he maintained.

The lone TRS MLA in the district said that he would chalk out a strategy to strengthen the party. "Our aim is to win as many seats as possible in the panchayat elections. Later I will take steps to rejuvenate the party," he said.

Addressing the gathering on Monday, Mr. Reddy said that he was happy with his homecoming. "I am attracted by the developmental works taken up by the Congress Government and it can deliver goods for people," he maintained.

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