Etala gives up on enticing Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Jupally Krishna Rao into BJP

HYDERABAD: Huzurabad MLA and Bharatiya Janata Party’s Telangana Joinings Committee Chairman Etala Rajender has only flattered to deceive in his mission to entice Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s expelled leaders Jupally Krishna Rao and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy into his party’s fold.

So should one feel, going by his comments on Monday which reflected his failure in enticing the two leaders and the consequent frustration. Rajender made some interesting comments in Hyderabad, stating that it was difficult now to rope in the two into the BJP. Speaking to the media at a hotel, he said: “I have been negotiating with both Ponguleti (Srinivasa Reddy) and Jupally (Krishna Rao) everyday. More than my influence on them, they are giving me reverse-counselling. So far, I’m only able to stop them from joining the Congress. The two leaders have some difficulties in joining the BJP.”

He also said that he had met Srinivasa Reddy much before the news of the latter’s meeting with Priyanka Gandhi came out.

In another interesting observation, Etala Rajender said that the Congress was formidable in Khammam district while conceding the fact that the BJP was weak there.