Well inspite of granting Telangana, the Congress is not sure as to how it will fare in the new state without an alliance with the TRS. In an apparent snub to the new TPCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah, the Konda couple from Warangal joined the TRS after the state Congress could not reportedly assure them seats.
Surekha was elected as Congress MLA from Parkal in 2009 but she had quit the party to join the YSRCP. In the 2012 by-elections in 2012, she lost to TRS by a very narrow margin. After the Congress announced Telangana, the Konda couple rejoined the Congress.
Sources say that Surekha sought an assurance of an MLA ticket for her and an MLC nomination for Murali. However,with no assurances being given, the Konda couple joined the TRS. Former PCC president D Srinivas and former deputy chief minister Damodar Raja Narasimha also reportedly tried to retain them in the Congress but in vain.
For Konda Surkeha, this looks like a complete turnaround. She was there at Manukota Railway Station in 2010 defending Jagan who had come for his Odarpu Yaathra. She had braved stones from TRS cadre there but today she has ended up in the party which she had fought bravely at Manukota defending her favorite leader YSR's legacy!
