Telangana Congress leader Jeevan Reddy decides to quit as MLC

Hyderabad: Upset over the Congress party admitting BRS MLA M. Sanjay Kumar, senior leader T. Jeevan Reddy on Tuesday announced that he will resign as member of Legislative Council.

Despite the efforts by several leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to pacify him, the former minister refused to change his stand.

He, however, made it clear that he has no plans to join any other party.

The senior leader was unhappy over not being consulted before admitting Jagtiyal MLA Sanjay Kumar into the party.

Sanjay Kumar, who had defeated Jeevan Reddy in the recent Assembly elections, joined Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday night.

Jeevan Reddy said he would decide his future course of action after consultations with his supporters.

Congress leaders had been trying to pacify Jeevan Reddy since Monday. State minister D. Sridhar Babu had also held a meeting with the MLC in Jagtiyal.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Sridhar Babu and other leaders held further talks with Jeevan Reddy at his residence in Hyderabad on Tuesday. However, the former minister stuck to his decision to resign as MLC.

Vikramarka told media persons that they would convey the sentiments of Jeevan Reddy to Congress leadership.

During the meeting with Jeevan Reddy on Monday, Sridhar Babu had given a similar assurance.

Jeevan Reddy was unhappy that the sentiments of party workers were not taken into consideration over the joining of Sanjay Kumar.

In the November 2023 Assembly elections, Jeevan Reddy had lost to Sanjay Kumar in Jagtial constituency in Nizamabad district. The Congress leader had lost to the same rival in 2018. Jeevan Reddy had defeated him in 2014.

Jeevan Reddy had also found fault with the Chief Minister for admitting senior BRS leader and former Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy into the party.

He also questioned the need for encouraging defections from other parties when the Congress government is stable with 65 MLAs.

The Chief Minister had personally visited Srinivas Reddy’s house on June 21 to invite him to join the Congress. The former minister immediately accepted the invitation and joined the party.

Sanjay Kumar was the fifth BRS MLA to switch loyalties since Congress came to power in December last year.

BRS had won 39 seats in the 119-member Assembly. Its tally has come down to 33 as it also lost the recent Secunderabad Cantonment by-election to the ruling party.