The public meeting to be held in Khammam to announce former Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy joining the Congress party will be the start of the end for Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, said Telangana Congress president A. Revanth Reddy.
The meeting will be a wave that will hit the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) and it will never recover, he said speaking to reporters after calling on Mr. Srinivas Reddy to request him to join the Congress party. The realignment of Congress forces is on, and this was just a start for the collapse of the BRS government, he declared.
Earlier, along with Bhongir MP, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy and senior leaders, he visited the residence of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) suspended leader Jupally Krishna Rao officially inviting them to join the party.
Though Mr. Jupally, a former Minister in both the Congress and BRS governments, and Mr. Srinivas Reddy, a former MP, have not officially declared that they would join the Congress party, it is a foregone conclusion that they have chosen the Congress path to defeat the BRS party. They will conduct public meetings in their respective districts — old Mahabubnagar and old Khammam and formally join the party. Before that, they will meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
Luncheon meeting at Jupally’s residence
The Congress leaders were treated to sumptuous lunch by Mr. Krishna Rao at his residence, where other BRS leaders and their sons joined. Those who attended the luncheon meeting included Rajesh Reddy, son of Damodar Reddy, BRS MLC; Gurunadh Reddy, former MLA; Arikela Narsa Reddy, former MLC; Muddappa, MPP Kodangal; and Jagdish Reddy, Kodangal Municipal Chairman, among others.
The leaders discussed the need to edge out BRS from Telangana and how there was a need to bring back all the old Congressmen into the party as the BRS had “failed Telangana while the family flourished”. Later, they went to the residence of Mr. Srinivas Reddy and invited him to join the party along with his supporters.
Mr. Revanth Reddy said all those who joined the TRS (now BRS) with the hope that their areas would be developed by the KCR government feel cheated now. And, they want to come back to the Congress. Mahbubnagar leaders, the Congress claims, feel cheated as their district was neglected, and all the present-day development is attributed to the Congress.
Mr. Venkata Reddy said they would not spend any money for the Khammam meeting and appealed to the Congress supporters to come on their own and show their desire to defeat the BRS.
Mr. Revanth Reddy said this was just the beginning and many more want to join. “We will meet them personally to invite them into the Congress fold,” he said.
Revanth goes to Venkata Reddy’s house
Earlier in the day, Mr. Revanth Reddy went to Mr. Venkata Reddy’s residence to take him along to Mr. Jupally’s residence. Enthused supporters of both the leaders raised slogans in their favour.
Earlier, TPCC chief Revanth Reddy went all the way to the residence of Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy before both, accompanied by other leaders, headed to Jupally Krishna Rao’s house. Later, he said all the senior leaders would be taken into confidence before the arrivals from other parties. “There are no differences between us and don’t create,” he told the media.
