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| MLC Elections |
A senior leader from the TRS, three of whose MLAs cross voted for the Congress nominee, told TOI: "Kiran is following in the footsteps of Rajasekhara Reddy. He is trying hard to drive a wedge in the ranks of TRS legislators to dilute the Telangana movement."
The TRS leader revealed that KCR at a politburo meeting had even remarked that, "Kiran could be a threat to TRS like YSR, and a close watch should be kept on the movements of TRS MLAs." KCR also alleged that the chief minister had lured the employee union leaders and succeeded in breaking the non-cooperation movement in the beginning of this month. TRS leaders claim that the chief minister spoke to the three MLAs before they cross voted. Close watchers point out that even when there were indications that the Congress candidate Mohd Jani was not in a comfortable position, the chief minister was supremely confident that all the party candidates would win the polls. "There will be no Japan-like tsunami," he had said.
In the event, Jani sailed through, though some Congressmen owing allegiance to Jagan voted for the MIM candidate. While analysts see Kiran as being successful in the politics of manipulation, his men are unable to credit their boss with victory.
Ruling party chief whip Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka lashed out at the TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Sunday for blaming the chief minister and his office for cross voting. KCR had alleged that Kiran Kumar Reddy had himself lured the three MLAs to vote for the Congress candidate.
"We have concrete information in this regard, and one of the three errant MLAs has accepted his guilt," KCR claimed. Vikramarka said: "I categorically state that neither the chief minister nor Congress party is in any way connected with the happenings in other parties during the council elections".
Sources: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
