Prodigals returning to parent parties

VV Balakrishna
First Published : 30 Jun 2009 10:11:40 AM IST
Last Updated : 30 Jun 2009 12:06:16 PM IST

HYDERABAD: The Ayaram Gayaram rigmarole is usually witnessed in State politics during election time.

Now, one month after the results and with the a government in place, the reverse flow is taking place with the Gayarams returning to the parent parties -- or poised to do so.

Several leaders who joined the Praja Rajyam Party are making the trek back, realising that their old pastures were greener. Others too are about to follow suit. In the meanwhile, they have been keeping away from PRP activities.

And the Congress and TDP are not averse to welcoming back the prodigals.

Today, former Alamur MLA VVSS Chowdary, who had unsuccessfully contested the Mandapet Assembly seat, quit the Praja Rajyam and is likely to join the Congress. As for the TDP and Congress, they have opened the doors for those who want to return.

This is with an eye on the forthcoming local body elections, as also to strengthen the party in the respective Assembly segments in the long run. Speculation is rife in TDP circles as to who will return to the party from the PRP. Several big names, including T Devender Goud and Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao are doing the rounds.

TDP MLA M Narasimhulu and others have urged TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to welcome back the leaders from PRP.

“Several leaders who quit the party before elections are seniors. They were with the party right from its inception. It is not wrong to invite them back again,’’ Narasimhulu maintained.

“If Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao rejoins, the party will be strengthened in West Godavari,’’ said a former politburo member from the district. “Our leaders are in touch with some of the erstwhile TDP members in the PRP,’’ another added.

Cold calculation is at the heart of it all.

One TDP leader has summed it up neatly: “There was initial hype over the PRP’s prospects. Several of our leaders migrated, whereas people from the Congress waited till nomination time. By that time it had become clear that the PRP would not come to power, and the Congress folks stayed put. But the erstwhile TDP leaders were stuck in the PRP and were unable to return. This hurt their old party because its cadre base had been depleted while that of the Congress was intact.’’ Now the TDP realises that if it is to pose a serious challenge in 2014, the turncoats will have to be taken back.