Sixth BRS MLA joins Congress in Telangana

The cup of woes of the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) continues as another MLA (Chevella) from the party Kale Yadaiah crossed over to the ruling Congress party on Friday taking the number of BRS legislators switching loyalties to six.

Mr. Kale Yadaiah joined the ruling party in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Telangana Deepa Das Munshi, in New Delhi on Friday. He was welcomed into the party with Mr. Revanth Reddy offering him the party ‘kanduva’.

Among others, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working President Anjan Kumar Yadav, former Minister Dr. Chandrashekhar, TPCC leader Dr. Rohin Reddy were present.

Notwithstanding the series of meetings the BRS chief and former CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao had with the party legislators in the last three days at the Erravelli farm house, the MLA’s continued to look for greener pastures.

Interestingly, the Congress high command also had a detailed discussion on the defections as Mr. Revanth Reddy is in the National Capital for the last five days.

BRS MLAs who joined Congress

Earlier this week, Jagtial BRS MLA Dr. Sanjay Kumar had joined the Congress party at the residence of the Chief Minister. Kadiyam Srihari,Danam Nagender, Tellam Venkat Rao and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy have already joined the Congress. Mr. Kale Yadaiah is the latest addition.

It may be recalled that the entry of Dr. Sanjay Kumar had triggered a crisis of sort for Congress with its senior leader and MLC T. Jeevan Reddy openly expressing his displeasure at the induction of his arch political rival without his knowledge. He even contemplated quitting his membership of the Legislative Council.

The central leadership had deputed Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu to pacify him. Finally, Mr. Jeevan Reddy met the central leadership in New Delhi and was assured of due recognition in the party.

After the Jeevan Reddy episode, the party’s central leadership has made it clear that the local Congress leaders would be kept in the loop whenever any rival party leader intends to join the ruling party.

The BRS leadership too has not kept quiet. It has already petitioned the Legislative Assembly Speaker to disqualify the MLA’s, who have defected to the Congress party.

With the latest defection, the BRS strength in the Assembly has come down to 32 from the 39 seats it won in the State Assembly Elections-2023. While it won the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly seat too, it fell vacant after the death of BRS MLA Lasya Nandita. A by-poll to the seat was held in May-2024 and it was won by Congress candidate Narayanan Sri Ganesh.