Congress Reaches Out to Leaders Who Joined Party from BRS, BJP for Local Body Elections

Adilabad: The top leadership of the Congress in Telangana is making efforts to reactivate senior leaders who had joined the party from the BRS and BJP ahead of the last Lok Sabha elections, in view of the upcoming local body polls.

Political equations in the Congress have shifted in the erstwhile Adilabad district following the appointment of Jupally Krishna Rao as the district in-charge minister, replacing Danasari Anasuya Seethakka.

Senior Congress leader and Bodhan MLA P. Sudarshan Reddy recently met with leaders who had switched to the Congress from the BJP and BRS. During the meeting, they discussed the party's status in the Adilabad Parliamentary constituency.

Sudarshan Reddy is said to have assured the attendees of his full support for their political activities and leadership roles within the party. He reportedly urged them to bring any issues to his attention so they could be resolved.

Interestingly, this closed-door meeting was held a few days ago at a cottage inside the Thippeshwar Tiger Reserve, located near the Maharashtra border. The meeting was kept confidential until the last minute.

Former MLAs and a former minister who joined the Congress from the BRS in Sirpur (T), Asifabad, Nirmal, Khanapur, Adilabad, and Mudhole Assembly constituencies, along with a former MLA from the BJP in Boath, reportedly attended the meeting.

Leaders who were not invited to the meeting were reportedly disappointed and began inquiring why they were excluded and what was discussed.

The discussions reportedly focused on strategies for the upcoming local body elections in the erstwhile Adilabad district, including efforts to secure a clean sweep, and deliberations on the selection of a new DCC president for the Adilabad district.

Plans were also discussed to win all four Zilla Parishad Chairperson posts and municipal bodies in Komaram Bheem, Nirmal, Adilabad, and Mancherial districts.

There is speculation in political circles that a senior Adivasi leader who recently joined the Congress from the BJP may be appointed as the Adilabad ZP chairman, provided the seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

However, questions remain as to why Sudarshan Reddy, who is known to be close to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, took the initiative to meet with these leaders from BRS and BJP.

A senior Congress leader from Adilabad, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Sudarshan Reddy held the meeting on the Chief Minister’s direction, in preparation for the upcoming local body elections.