Hyderabad: Second time Congress MLA from Makthal segment in Mahbubnagar district, Chittem Rammohan Reddy, brother of former Congress minister D.K. Aruna, announced on Wednesday that he was quitting the Congress and joining the TRS.
Mr Reddy met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at his camp office in the afternoon and announced that he was joining the TRS. The Chief Minister welcomed him in the party with a pink khanduva.
Singing the same tune like several of his predecessor MLAs who quit their respective parties and joined the ruling party, Mr Reddy too has said that the reason for his move was to develop his constituency. He credited the CM’s verve to develop TS for influencing his decision.
When asked about the possible entry of his sister into the TRS, Mr Reddy said, “My sister’s politics and the issues in her constituency are totally different from mine. I don’t think she will quit the Congress and join the TRS, but I have decided to switch sides keeping in mind the need to develop my constituency.’’
He is the fifth Congress MLA to join the ruling party after Koram Kanakaiah ( Yellandu), Kale Yadaiah (Chevella), G. Vittal Reddy (Mudhole) and D.S. Redya Naik (Dornakal). With this latest defection, the strength of the Congress Legislature Party in the Assembly has come down to 14 from 21 (two Congress MLAs had died).
Independent MLA Donthi Madhava Reddy (Narsampet) declared his support to Congress earlier. Reacting to the news, Ms Aruna said that she was nobody to comment about the political moves of her brother.
“He has politically grown and is able to take independent decisions. He has not consulted me or informed me about his decision,” she said.
However, Mr Reddy’s exit has not surprised the CLP as there were reports about him joining the ruling party during the just concluded Assembly session. His name had figured along with four more MLAs, including Ms Aruna.
