Odelu’s frequent loyalty shifts confuse followers in Mancherial

The three-time MLA joined the Congress twice in a gap of little over a year. Following differences with government whip Balka Suman, Odelu had quit the BRS in May and joined the Congress.

Mancherial: Despite being known for his humility, accessibility to the public and active participation in the Telangana movement, former government whip Nallala Odelu is apparently struggling to make the right move in politics. His inconsistency has created confusion among his followers, besides triggering internal bickering in the Congress.

The three-time MLA joined the Congress twice in a gap of little over a year. Following differences with government whip Balka Suman, Odelu had quit the BRS in May and joined the Congress. He was forced to leave the party in October as he was unable to handle opposition to his entry, reportedly from former MLC K Premsagar Rao.

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He shifted his loyalty to the BRS again in October and was welcomed by BRS working president KT Rama Rao, who acknowledged his contributions. However, Odelu again quit the party and joined the Congress a few days back, surprising many and shocking his followers.

His reentry in the Congress is already triggering infighting in the district Congress unit. He rejoined the party, eyeing the ticket of Chennur Assembly constituency (SC) from which 13 aspirants had applied for the ticket. But Premsagar Raohad reportedly assured the Chennur ticket to his aide Nukala Ramesh. With Odelu enjoying the support of TPCC chief Revanth Reddy, the clash is getting quite intense.

Odelu had won from Chennur segment by contesting on the ticket of the BRS (then TRS) in 2009, in the 2010 by-polls and 2014. He was replaced by Balka Suman in the 2018 elections. His wife Bhagyalakshmi is the Zilla Parishad chairperson.