Hours before K Chandrasekhar Rao’s swearing-in ceremony, two MLAs shifted their loyalties to the TRS, taking the total strength of the TRS in Telangana to 90. The TRS had bagged 88 seats in the 119-member Assembly in the elections held on December 7, results of which were announced on December 11.
Independent MLA from Wyra seat Lavudya Ramulu and Ramagundam MLA Korukanti Chandar Patel of the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) have jumped to the TRS.
Lavudya Ramulu was a member of the Congress party and was one of the rebel candidates who had refused to withdraw their nominations. Upset with the Wyra ticket going to a CPI candidate – the CPI was a part of the Prajakutami alliance comprising the Congress and the TDP as well – he decided to contest from the seat as an Independent. Ramulu secured 52,650 votes to defeat incumbent MLA Banoth Madan Lal of the TRS and Banoth Vijaya of the CPI to win the Wyra seat. He met incumbent minister and KCR’s son KT Rama Rao on Wednesday and joined the TRS.
Meanwhile, the Ramagundam MLA K Chandar Patel on Wednesday met TRS President and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's son KT Rama Rao and expressed his willingness to join the party. Chandar defeated his nearest rival S Satyanarayana of TRS by over 26,000 votes. Chandar had unsuccessfully contested as TRS candidate in 2009.
In 2014, when TRS denied him a ticket, he contested as a Forward Block candidate but lost to Satyanarayana by 2,200 votes. This time he contested again as a Forward Bloc candidate. Since his wife died of ill health a few days before the elections, there was a sympathy wave for him in the constituency and many TRS cadres worked for his victory.
K Chandrasekhar Rao will be taking oath as the Chief Minister of Telangana for the second time on Thursday. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Raj Bhavan at 1.25 pm.