HYDERABAD: Former Medical and Health Minister Eatala Rajender is preparing for Huzurabad Assembly bypoll, but only after Covid-19 pandemic subsided. Rajender declared that he would take a decision on resigning as an MLA after the Covid-19 declined. Rajender was unceremoniously ousted from the State Cabinet on May 3. Meanwhile, the ruling TRS is also buying time to take further action against the former minister. If insiders are to be believed, TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has played his cards very smartly after he got an indication that Rajender may float his own political outfit.
The TRS supremo, according to sources, came to know about Rajender’s plans to float his own party three months ago. Rajender, in fact, had been expecting his removal from the Cabinet as he knew that KCR had knowledge of his plans. But what Rajender did not expect was that Rao would go for his jugular even after sacking him from the Cabinet.
Rao crippled Rajender financially by exposing his assigned land deals and also dealt a big blow to the poultry business run by Rajender’s family members.These moves by Rao came without warning and by doing so, the TRS supremo succeeded in sending a message across the State that Rajender was not a ‘holy cow’, sources in TRS explained.
Eatala committed strategic blunders
Political analysts Rajender, according to analysts, committed strategic blunders after his removal from the Cabinet. Instead of going ahead with his plans of floating his own political party, Rajender met BJP and Congress leaders.
The leaders of the two parties wanted him to join their own outfits. If Rajender joins any other political parties, he would become only one of the leaders in such parties and may not be projected as a Chief Minister candidate. Even if Rajender floats his own political party, the chances of him becoming the Chief Minister seem bleak as parties founded by BC leaders in the past did not get the support they expected, even from backward classes. Analysts pointed out that BC leaders T Devender Goud (Nava Telangana Praja Party) and Kasani Gnaneshwar (Mana Party) too failed at the hustings.
Meanwhile, the ruling TRS succeeded in retaining all the elected representatives in Huzurabad. Due to the pandemic situation, Rajender could not make a big impact on State politics, as he could not meet many people or organise public meetings. But, some of his followers in Huzurabad declared that they would support whatever political decision taken by Rajender. Now, the options before Rajender are to resign from TRS and float his own party, or join any other political party. If Rajender aggressively carries on with his plans, the TRS may disqualify him as an MLA, citing his ‘anti-party’ activities.
Pact with D Srinivas in the making?
Meanwhile, political pundits see a quid pro quo in talks held recently between Rajya Sabha member D Srinivas and Rajender. According to sources, both the leaders have their own axes to grind. Srinivas, a powerful Munnuru Kapu leader appeared ready to trade his support to Rajender for whatever political agenda he has, in return for Mudirajus’ support for his MP son D Arvind in the next elections. While this is so, the TRS government appeared to have not slowed down its investigation into the allegations that Rajender had encroached assigned lands in Masaipet mandal. On Monday, Revenue officials resumed inquiry into possession of assigned lands by Jamuna Hatcheries, owned by Rajender’s family. Though the High Court asked the government to follow all prescribed norms, regardless of the delay it might take, the government appears keen on discrediting Rajender to the extent possible.