TJS' Kodandaram Irked By Etala's Saffron Switch?

TJS founder and supremo M Kodandaram today expressed his displeasure at the decision of Telangana's former Health Minister Etala Rajender to quit from the TRS to reportedly join the BJP.

Speaking to the media, he said that Rajender had lost a "great opportunity" to "protect the democratic fabric" of Telangana by truly becoming a force to counter the rule of the TRS.

Further, the leader said that he felt that the people of the state thought that Rajender would become a force who would fight for the protection of the democracy of their land, and added, "Much of Telangana had looked towards Etala and had reposed their faith in him to emerge as a force to counter the dominant anti-democratic ones burgeoning in our state. Thus, I feel that those people have now been left sorely disappointed by his decision to join the BJP instead."

Kodandaram claimed that both he and former Congress MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy had assured Rajender that they would extend their support to him in his fight for the protection of democracy in the state.

Referring to the former minister's decision to join the BJP, he termed it as a personal one, and said that in joining the saffron party, Rajender would only help it cement its position in Telangana. However, he also made clear the fact that he was not saying that Rajender should have "ignored" the BJP either, and accepted that the parties of the Opposition in the state had largely "failed" in fighting against the KCR government over public problems.