Jolt to BRS as senior leader decides to join Congress

Hyderabad: Ahead of the Telangana Assembly elections, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) received another setback with senior leader and former Greater Hyderabad Mayor Teegala Krishna Reddy deciding to join the Congress, along with his daughter-in-law Anitha Reddy, who is Zilla Parishad Chairperson of Rangareddy district.

Krishna Reddy and Anitha Reddy had a secret meeting with AICC in-charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakare and state Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday.

Both the BRS leaders decided to switch loyalties to the Congress and are likely to soon join the party.

This will be the second jolt to the BRS after former minister Jupally Krishna Rao, former Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and 33 others quit the ruling party and joined the Congress last month.

Krishna Reddy is believed to have taken the decision after clear indications that the BRS will not give him a ticket from Maheshwaram constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The former MLA is unhappy as Chief Minister K. Chanrdasekhar Rao has reportedly decided to give the BRS ticket from Maheshwaram to Education Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy. She had contested against Krishna Reddy as the Congress candidate in 2018 elections.

Krishna Reddy has been sulking ever since Sabitha Indra Reddy switched loyalties to TRS (now BRS) along with some other Congress leaders in 2019 and KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, rewarded her with a Cabinet berth.

Krishna Reddy, who began his political journey with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), had served as Mayor of Greater Hyderabad from 2002 to 2007. He was also Chairman of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

When Maheshwaram constituency was created in 2009, he contested as TDP candidate but lost to Sabitha Indra Reddy. In 2014, he was elected from the same constituency, defeating Malreddy Ranga Reddy of the Congress. However, a few months after the polls, he crossed over to the TRS along with three other TDP MLAs.

Krishna Reddy said his opponents within the party are saying that since his daughter-in-law Anitha Reddy is Rangareddy Zilla Parishad Chairperson, his family should not get two posts. The former Mayor said it would not be proper if he opens his mouth to respond to them.

Last year, Krishna Reddy had alleged that minister Sabitha Indira Reddy was encouraging encroachments in Maheshwaram constituency. He slammed the minister for destroying Meerpet Mantrala lake. Stating that he would not keep quiet over the destruction of Meerpet, he had said if necessary he would launch an indefinite fast. He said the minister was promoting encroachments and remarked that even lakes and schools were not being spared.