HYDERABAD: Expressing happiness at the ghar wapsi by several leaders including former BRS leaders Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao who joined the Telangana Congress unit, party leader Rahul Gandhi gave a call for ‘KCR hatao, Telangana bachao.’
Speaking on the occasion Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said “BRS and BJP are one and the same. Their relation becomes clear by the way they dealt with the case of Kavitha in the Delhi liquor scam.”
A party statement said, “The winds of change are visible across the country. This started with the Bharat Jodo yatra. Many are enthused by the message of unity.”
Speaking to the media, Srinivas Reddy said, “The media has been curious about the future course of our political journey. After toying with the idea of even floating a new regional political outfit we decided to join the Congress.”
He explained that a new outfit would have split anti-Chandrashekar Rao votes and benefited him. “We conducted the three surveys which showed that 80 per cent of the people were against KCR,” he said.
“The BJP also tried to woo us but we zeroed in on the Congress in deference to the wishes of the people. Many ministers in the KCR Cabinet are not happy as their self-respect has been dented.”
Stating that power and pelf were not behind his decision, Srinivas Reddy said, “If we wanted to be with the party in power we would have joined the BJP. I know I will have to face problems because of this decision. But I am joining the Congress as per people’s wishes.”
Krishna Rao, who joined the party from the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district, said, “We had resigned many times during the statehood struggle. We hoped that the wishes of the people would be fulfilled. But new schemes are being launched only with an eye on the elections. There is corruption even in the construction of martyr’s memorial. The BRS has lost the right to rule.”
While Srinivas Reddy will formally join the party in Khammam on July 2 in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, Krishna Rao will do so either on July 14 or 16 by holding a public meeting in Mahbubnagar, which is likely to be attended by Priyanka Gandhi.
TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy said, “We will release the manifesto on July 2 in Khammam. The meeting will be attended by Rahul Gandhi and Kharge. The bond between the BJP and BRS is strong and they are likely to fight the next elections together.”
Speaking to the media later, Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said, “Rao is criticising the Congress in Maharashtra where we are not in power. Even Sharad Pawar has said that BRS and BJP are together. BJP’s Delhi leaders had said Kavitha is involved in the liquor scam but she is yet to be arrested. This exposes their double-standards.”
Welcoming the new entrants into the party fold was Lok Sabha member N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with Mulugu MLA Danasari Seethakka and senior leader K. Jana Reddy.
