Some senior Congress leaders likely to join BJP

Mancherial: Some senior Congress leaders of old Adilabad district are likely to join the BJP soon in the presence of party president Amit Shah in the first week of September. There are suspicions regarding leaders who were absent during the Uttam Kumar Reddy and Bhatti visit to the Pranahitha-Chevella project at Thummidihatti.

Former MLC Kokkirala Premsagar Rao is likely to join the BJP and has reportedly communicated the same a few days ago to CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka and former minister D. Sridhar Babu. Mr Premsagar Rao's wife Surekha is the Mancherial DCC president. Premsagar Rao was not present even at his house when both Bhatti and Sridhar Babu visited his house in Mancherial. Premsagar Rao did not attend the Congress leaders’ visit to the Pranahitha-Chevella project site though his wife attended the programme.

Mr Premsagar Rao was chairman of the District Cooperative Central Bank (DCCB) and has good relations with the Congress party high command. He was defeated from the Mancherial seat in the last Assembly elections.     

When contacted by this reporter, Premsagar Rao said that he would speak about his joining the BJP later since it was not finalised. He did not deny however, that he was joining the BJP. Actually, he wanted to join the TRS, eyeing the MLC post which is being vacated by Puranam Sathish soon, but the party high command did not respond to his proposal. Later, he changed his mind and decided to join the BJP for his political future.

News is also making rounds in political circles that one more DCC and MLA contestant from Mudhole and a senior Lambada leader is also planning to join the BJP if everything goes smoothly.

It is a fact that many Congress leaders are in touch with BJP top leaders and are waiting for the right time to jump into the BJP after taking promise for their political future.