More energy is being spent on infighting in the Congress, this time in Telangana. Last week, Telangana Congress Committee working president and Sangareddy MLA T. Jayaprakash Reddy decided to ‘snap’ ties with the party, as there was a “conspiracy to malign him” by labeling him a covert supporter of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) on social media. Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy’s decision is not sudden, especially given his differences with Telangana Congress president A. Revanth Reddy ever since the latter was chosen over him to lead the party in Telangana.
Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy is a maverick and an unstoppable party hopper. He started his career with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He shifted to the TRS during the separate State agitation in 2004 and won as MLA. Then he joined the Congress and was made government whip. In 2014, he shifted to the BJP again to contest from the Medak parliamentary seat. When he lost, he returned to the Congress. This time, he has given himself a 15-day deadline to leave the party and chart out an independent political course.
The TRS also created an embarrassing situation for Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy. During his visit to Sangareddy for an official programme, TRS working president and the IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao hobnobbed with Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy giving credence to the rumours.
