Former cabinet minister Mothkupalli Narasimhulu joins TRS

Hyderabad: Three months after leaving the BJP, a former TDP minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh, Mothkupalli Narasimhulu, on Monday joined the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao welcomed him into the party at a programme held at party headquarters Telangana Bhavan. Narasimhulu, a Dalit leader, is likely to be appointed as chairman of Dalit Bandhu Corporation to oversee the implementation of the scheme.

It was in 2019 that he had joined BJP after being expelled from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for making allegations against the party leadership. He however quit the BJP in July this year, alleging that the saffron party did not give him due recognition. Narasimhulu, who was with the TDP since its inception in March 1982, served as a minister in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Welcoming him into TRS, chief minister Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) recalled that they worked together for many years. He claimed that his friendship with the former minister is beyond politics. KCR pointed out that Narasimhulu is known as a leader who serves as the weaker sections of the society.

As a minister for energy, Narasimhulu has seen the power problems then faced by Telangana, KCR said, adding that he launched a movement for statehood to Telangana to solve the problems faced by the region. He pointed out that those opposing statehood to Telangana tried to create fear among people that in a separate Telangana, Maoists will roam around with AK-47 rifles and the state will not receive investments.

KCR also said that Narsimhulu convinced national parties to support statehood to Telangana and finally achieved the goal. He said he met BSP leader Mayawati alone 19 times to seek her support. Stating that there is a vast difference between Telangana of that time and today, KCR claimed that people living in urban areas were looking towards villages for migration as the rural areas have transformed under self-rule

The chief minister also said BJP MLAs in Karnataka are demanding that schemes being implemented in Telangana should be launched in their state else the Raichur district be merged with Telangana. The TRS chief said there was no doubt that TRS will win another term in power. He added Rs 23 lakh crore will be spent in Telangana in the next seven years. On Dalit Bandhu alone, Rs.1.70 lakh crore will be spent.