Three BRS MLCs and two MLAs ready to join Congress

Warangal/Karimnagar: Toeing the line of several prominent BRS leaders, including MLAs, who shifted loyalties and joined the Congress, three MLCs from erstwhile Warangal district are heading towards the ruling party.

Two MLCs from BRS — Baswaraju Saraiah and Banda Prakash — who began their political career in the Congress, attended the review meeting held by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy during his visit to Warangal.

Saraiah expressed his ‘ghar wapsi’ desire during a closed-door discussion with Revanth Reddy’s chief adviser Vem Narendar Reddy. However, the Congress state leadership asked him to take the initiative and hold talks with other BRS MLCs and ensure that at least 10 of them join the ruling party.

Meanwhile, Saraiah informed them that it was only after consulting his political guru and former MP Ramasahayam Surendar Reddy that he would take a final call and announce his decision.

It must be noted that BRS clinched two Assembly seats in erstwhile Warangal district and five in Karimnagar district. Two of them, Kadiam Srihari representing Jangaon and Dr. Sanjay Kumar (Jagtial) have already joined the Congress.

The five members who remained in the BRS include Palla Rajeshwar Reddy (Jangaon), Gangula Kamalakar (Karimnagar), K.T. Rama Rao (Sircilla), Dr. K. Sanjay (Korutla) and Padi Koushik Reddy from Huzurabad.

Meanwhile, Kamalakar stayed away from a meeting that was chaired by party chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao. He did not even meet BRS working president Rama Rao on Monday during his brief stopover in Karimnagar while on way to a party meeting in Jagtial district.

It is learnt from party circles that Kamalakar along with former minister from erstwhile Warangal district Errabelli Dayakar Rao are likely to join the Congress. Even though both of them rubbished the rumours, they are not actively participating in party meetings.

Meanwhile, even as several BRS leaders are looking up to the Congress, Narsampet MLA Donthi Madhava Reddy has been away from Congress activities and programmes in the district. Incidentally, while all Congress MLAs attended the review meeting held by Revanth Reddy, Madhava Reddy skipped it even though he was in Hanamkonda.

Right from the beginning, Madhava Reddy has not been in close touch with Revanth Reddy. Quite ironically, when Revanth Reddy took out the ‘Hath Se Hath Jodo’ yatra, he visited all constituencies in erstwhile Warangal but did not enter Narsampet constituency.

It is learnt that he was upset with the state party leadership for not giving him a cabinet berth.