BRS MLA Prakash Goud Joins Congress Party

Hyderabad: In a significant political development, Prakash Goud, the MLA from Rajendranagar constituency in Greater Hyderabad, has joined the Congress party. Goud met Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy today and officially announced his switch from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to Congress.

During the meeting, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy felicitated Goud and welcomed him into the party by presenting him with a shawl. This marks a notable addition to the Congress, which has been gaining momentum since coming to power in Telangana in December 2023.

Goud becomes the eighth BRS MLA to switch loyalties since the Congress’s electoral victory. His defection is expected to further bolster the Congress party’s position in the state.

Earlier, Goud, along with fellow BRS MLA Arekapudi Gandhi, had met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during Naidu’s visit to Hyderabad, sparking speculations about their potential defection to TDP. However, both MLAs denied such plans at that time.

On Friday, Goud expressed his admiration for Chandrababu Naidu, referring to him as his political guru and expressing happiness over Naidu’s return as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.

Goud had also met CM Revanth Reddy before the Lok Sabha elections amid reports of his intention to join the Congress, though his official joining was delayed until now.

Prakash Goud was first elected from the Rajendranagar constituency on a TDP ticket in 2009 and re-elected in 2014 before joining the TRS (now BRS). In the Assembly elections held in November 2023, he was elected from the constituency on a BRS ticket for a fourth consecutive term.

With Goud’s defection to the Congress, the BRS strength in the 119-member Assembly will decrease to 30. The Congress, which also recently won the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly by-election, will see its tally rise to 73. Over the past seven months, the BRS has lost six MLCs and several senior leaders to the Congress.