Padi Kaushik Reddy, who quit Congress last week, has decided to join TRS on Wednesday (tomorrow).
Kaushik Reddy contested as Congress candidate against then TRS candidate Etela Rajender in 2018 December Assembly polls but he lost by 43,719 votes. Etela secured 1.04 lakh votes, while Kaushik got 61,121 votes. All other parties lost their deposits.
Ever since Etela quit TRS and Assembly seat in June, Kaushik Reddy is waging a war against him in Huzurabad constituency with an aim to contest bypoll and defeat Etela.
Kaushik was trying for Congress ticket and at the same time TRS ticket to contest against Etela.
But the unexpected developments in Telangana Congress following the appointment of A Revanth Reddy as new TPCC chief on June 26 changed the fortunes of Kaushik Reddy in Congress.
There were speculations that Revanth was against Kaushik Reddy and wants to filed former MP Ponnam Prabhakar in his place in Huzurabad bypoll after there were reports in media that Kaushik Reddy met TRS working president KTR and also maintaining ‘secret relations’ with TRS.
At this stage, an audio clip of Kaushik Reddy which was leaked and went viral on social media platforms has put Kaushik Reddy in a fix. In the audio clip, he was heard telling Huzurabad local TRS youth leader that TRS high command has confirmed TRS ticket for him in the bypoll.
The TPCC issued show-cause notice to Kaushik. But instead of replying to show cause notice, Kaushik resigned to Congress and levelled serious allegations against Revanth Reddy alleging that Revanth became TPCC chief by bribing Rs 50 crore to AICC Telangana affairs incharge Manickam Tagore.
With Kaushik Reddy deciding to join TRS on Wednesday, speculations are rife in TRS circles that KCR wants to field Kaushik Reddy from TRS against Etela as Kaushik has put up a good fight against Etela in 2018 and has more chances to win against Etela on TRS ticket in the bypoll.