For the first time since Eatala Rajender was dropped from the Telangana cabinet, TRS Working President KT Rama Rao targeted him, asking the former Health Minister who joined the BJP, to specify what injustice he was subjected to in the party. KTR, a cabinet minister in the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) led government said, Eatala will not gain any sympathy from the public in the upcoming Huzurabad bye-polls. Eatala, after quitting the TRS, is now contesting the Huzurabad bye-polls on a BJP ticket.
KTR was responding to Eatala's statement that he was fighting for self-respect. The TRS working president remarked that the former minister is indulging in self-deception and also deceiving the people. He asked Eatala to introspect what TRS has given him and what it has done for him. In an informal chat with reporters, KTR said while enjoying various posts in TRS, Eatala was in touch with other parties. He alleged that while being in the cabinet, he used to find fault with its decisions.
This is the first time that KTR has reacted since Eatala was dropped from the state cabinet by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in May following allegations that he encroached lands of farmers in Medak district for his family's poultry unit. The TRS leader also asked why Eatala continued as a minister when his self-respect was hurt. He claimed that Eatala tried to continue in the TRS till the last minute.
Eatala had resigned in June from the TRS and joined the BJP. He also resigned from the Huzurabad Assembly seat and is now preparing to contest the bye-election on a BJP ticket. Exuding confidence that TRS will retain the Huzurabad seat, KTR said the bye-election will be a contest among parties and not individuals. Stating that Eatala had admitted his mistakes, KTR asked why people would have sympathy for him.