A day after Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy claimed that 25 Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLAs were ready to join the Congress party, Bhadrachalam MLA, Tellam Venkat Rao joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.
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Along with Mr. Venkat Rao several BRS leaders from the Bhadrachalam constituency also joined Congress. Mr. Venkat Rao is the third legislator to quit BRS and join the ruling party. Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari and Khairatbad MLA Danam Nagender were the other two who deserted the BRS.
Mr. Venkat Rao is a close follower of Mr. Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and was expecting the Bhadrachalam ticket from Congress. However, the party chose to field the sitting MLA Podem Veeraiah forcing Mr. Venkat Rao to secure ticket from the BRS.
He was the lone BRS MLA in Khammam district which Congress swept in the Assembly elections and with his exit, the BRS has no presence now. Mr. Venkat Rao’s exit was expected given his close association with Mr. Srinivas Reddy.