Etala Rajender Resigns From TRS, Slams KCR

Former Health Minister of Telangana Etala Rajender today resigned from the TRS and from his post of MLA as well.

Addressing the media at his Shamirpet residence, the former minister launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and claimed that the CM removed him from his Cabinet post without even seeking an explanation from him before taking the drastic decision.

He pointed out that he was "dropped" from the Cabinet even before the enquiry into the charges made against him had been completed.

"Since my dismissal, which was based on the facts stated in an anonymous letter, the ruling party has been trying to "lure" the supporters and followers I have in my constituency, Huzurabad, by offering money to them. This is being done with the objective of ending my political career entirely. I am receiving this treatment even though it was my work that acted to strengthen the TRS in Huzurabad. In fact, I was even stopped from meeting the CM several times," Rajender alleged.

Further, he claimed that the TRS supremo, KCR, would habitually threaten the public representatives belonging to the party whenever they failed to fall in line with the latter's wishes and opinions, and that the party's rank and file were "treated like slaves" by him (KCR).

However, the leader asserted that his supporters and well-wishers would help him "bust" all the "lies" being spread by the CM about him.

"The people of Huzurabad felt that they lost something when I was removed from the state Cabinet. I am today putting an end to my 19-year-long association with the TRS. This is not the first time I am giving up a seat - in the past too, I had resigned from my post of MLA for the sake of the Telangana movement. As always, I will continue to work for the people of my state no matter what," he added.

Rajender will formally submit his resignation as Huzurabad MLA to the Speaker on Saturday. Now that his resignation is out of the way, it is highly likely that he will join the BJP soon.