In what is being seen as a major shock to the TRS, one of its early members and former Karimnagar Mayor Sardar Ravinder Singh has resigned from the party in protest against being denied the MLC ticket. Ravinder Singh, who is quite popular in Karimnagar town and its neighbourhood, has sent his resignation letter to KCR on Thursday evening.
Ravinder Singh, who originally hailed from the BJP and the ABVP, joined the TRS at the invitation of KCR. He has worked for the party for over 25 years. Time was when he was a permanent fixture in KCR’s entourage. He has won as a corporator six times and was also the mayor of Karimnagar. But, since the TRS came to power, he was sidelined. Despite his several attempts, he was not given MLA or MLC post.
A miffed Ravinder Singh has filed his nomination papers as a rebel candidate for the local body MLC constituency this time and went underground to avoid pressures from the TRS leadership. On Thursday evening, he sent in his resignation. Sources say that he will either join the BJP or contest independently with the BJP support in the MLC elections.
In another significant development, another senior leader Gattu Ramachandra Rao, who was personally invited into the TRS by KCR himself, too has resigned from the party. He too was upset at not being given any post in the party. In his resignation letter, Gattu said that he was resigning because he has failed to win the confidence of the party leadership. Gattu has joined TRS from the YSRCP after the 2014 elections.