Date:13/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/13/stories/2005111314220100.htm

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Efforts intensified to woo rebel TRS MLAs

Special Correspondent

KCR, Narendra join Santosh Reddy's birthday celebrations

SMILES ARE BACK: TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao and A. Narendra greeting Santosh Reddy on his birthday in Hyderabad on Saturday. - Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD: Twentyfour hours after former Minister and expelled leader S. Santosh Reddy was brought back into partyfold, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti leadership has intensified its efforts to woo the other dissident legislators. The 63rd birthday of Mr. Santosh Reddy was used to the hilt by party president K. Chandrasekhara Rao and Union Minister A. Narendra to chalk out an action plan to end the stalemate in the party over the controversial remarks made by some dissident MLAs and to bring pressure on the Government to withdraw its decision to restrict free power for paddy cultivation during rabi. The two senior TRS leaders visited Mr. Reddy's residence in Banjara Hills and had lunch with him.

Former Ministers-- A. Chandrasekhar, T. Harish Rao and V. Laxmikanta Rao-- Warangal MP Ravindra Naik and 10 other MLAs were present. Mr. Rao and Mr. Narendra spent over four hours with the party leaders to discuss the latest developments. However, another dissident MLA T. Jayaprakash Reddy termed Mr. Santosh Reddy's decision to re-join the TRS as `hasty and premature'.

Party sources maintained that Mr. Laxmikanta Rao and Mr. Naik were directed to continue parleys with the four dissident MLAs from Warangal even as Mr. Narendra was said to have summoned Sangareddy MLA T. Jayaprakash Reddy to Hyderabad immediately.

Motorcycle rally

Addressing a joint press conference at Mr. Reddy's residence, Mr. Rao and Mr. Narendra announced that a motorcycle yatra would be taken out from Chevella on November 17 by the TRS youth and student wings.