Ballari: Rebel Cong leader Nagendra to join BJP after brother makes the switch

Ballari: Now that his brother, Venkatesh Prasad has joined the BJP with an eye on a ticket from Ballari for the coming Lok Sabha poll, rebel Congress legislator, B Nagendra too is likely to join the saffron party, according to sources.

"Nagendra has gone incommunicado and is expected to resign as MLA soon after the BJP officially declares Venkatesh Prasad its candidate for Ballari," said a senior Congress legislator from the district.

The Congress party is making no effort to convince the Ballari (ST) MLA as he is serious about going to the BJP, according to him.

A third-time MLA, Mr Nagendra had joined the Congress in the presence of its president , Rahul Gandhi at Hosapete in February 2018 along with two other legislators, Anand Singh and Bhima Naik ahead of state assembly poll.

"Nagendra joined the Congress at the insistence of then district minister, Santosh Lad, but he is now going back to his old masters, the Reddy brothers and Sriramulu," the Congress leader said.

Molakalmur MLA , B Sriramulu too recently claimed that with Mr. Prasad joining the BJP, his younger brother, Nagendra too would soon return to it.

But when asked, Mr Prasad denied the possibility saying, "My brother Nagendra will continue in the Congress. I joined the BJP unconditionally.”

Sources close to Mr. Nagendra say he is in Delhi, lobbying with the BJP for a ticket for his brother. Mr. Nagendra had also lobbied hard for a Congress ticket for his brother to contest the 2018 November Lok Sabha byelection from Ballari, but the Congress fielded V.S. Ugrappa, who won the seat by a large margin and is set to contest from it again.