Telangana Congress MLA Rajagopal Reddy to move to BJP; party left with just 5 MLAs

In yet another setback to the Congress party in Telangana, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, the party MLA from Nalgonda district announced on Friday that he would quit the Congress and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) soon.

After partaking in darshan of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala, Rajagopal Reddy who represents the Munugode assembly constituency said that the BJP was the only alternative to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, as the Congress party had failed to put up a strong fight. He said he had predicted long ago about the growth of the BJP as a strong force in Telangana.

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“I stand by my statement and the recent results of the by-elections to the Dubbak assembly seat and the elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) proved it,” he added.

He also claimed that keeping in mind the interest of the people of his constituency he might join the BJP shortly as the party would get further strengthened in Telangana in the coming days. 

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Sooner or later if Reddy joins BJP, the Congress will be left with just 5 MLAs in the 119- member state assembly. The party won 19 seats in December 2018 assembly elections, post that 12 MLAs already moved to TRS. In 2019 from the remaining 7 seats, the Congress lost one more in the by-elections.

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Rajagopal Reddy's elder brother Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is also an MP from Bhongir parliamentary constituency. After the resignation of N Uttam Kumar Reddy as PCC chief at present he is a front-runner for the post. “My elder brother might remain in Congress and become the PCC chief. But I am going to join the BJP,' he said. 

Telangana Congress PCC vice-president reaction

“It is not correct on his part to desert the party when it is in crisis. As a responsible MLA of the party, it is his duty to stand by the party and strengthen it,”, the Telangana Congress PCC vice-president Mallu Ravi condemned Rajagopal Reddy’s statement. Ravi claimed that Congress would bounce back into power both at the Centre and the state.

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