Confirming the rumours of his imminent quitting from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy sent his resignation and announced his decision to join the Congress.
In his letter, Mr. Reddy, a former Congress MLA, said he had decided to leave the BJP realising that the party was not serious about taking on the BRS government that was increasingly getting unpopular in Telangana. He said people want a change in Telangana and the State should be freed from KCR’s family rule. People feel only Congress was capable of defeating the BRS, he said, while revealing his decision.
Later, addressing a press conference, he said that he would join the Congress on October 27 in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. He is likely to contest from Munugode where he won the 2018 elections and resigned in 2022 to force a by-election. He contested on the BJP ticket but lost to the BRS candidate in the high-voltage and high-stakes election that caught the nation’s attention.
Mr. Reddy said he was ready to fight against Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in Gajwel as his sole intention was to defeat KCR whom the people have decided to vote out this time.
Defending his decision, he said his supporters in Munugode too pressured him to join the Congress as people had already decided to vote for it. He said he never spoke ill of any Congress leader, as his sole intention in joining the BJP was to defeat KCR. He agreed that the BJP’s popularity was on the rise last year but somehow people are now perceiving it as a ‘friend’ of the BRS. Now they are looking towards Congress.
Mr. Reddy questioned those who levelled allegations against him, saying that he had joined the BJP for monetary benefits. “What do they say now? Will they apologise,” he asked. He also defended his criticism of some Congress leaders saying it was part of politics.
On the question over his differences with the TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy, he said there would be no problem as he would be working for the Congress party. Mr. Revanth Reddy will not be the PCC chief forever, nor any other leader would hold permanent posts in a national party like Congress that accommodates all. I have nothing personal against the PCC chief. This is not the BRS where only KCR and his family can become presidents.
He also rejected the accusations that he was seeking a ticket for his wife. “In fact, the BJP offered me tickets for Munugode and L.B. Nagar. But I asked them not to announce the name,” he said.
