ADILABAD: The political turf in the state is witnessing major changes with senior BJP and Congress leaders changing their loyalties and joining rival parties in the run-up to the next assembly poll season.
The current phase started with senior Congress leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy joining the BJP. Senior BJP leader and NRI Kandi Srinivas Reddy said he would be joining the Congress in the presence of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, at a public meeting in Hyderabad on Monday.
Srinivas Reddy has had a strong association with the RSS for a long time and had earlier claimed support from BJP national general secretary Santhosh Ji.
The temptation for Srinivas Reddy to switch sides is reportedly a promise he would get the Congress ticket to contest the next elections from the Adilabad assembly constituency.
Reddy got to know he would not get the BJP ticket as senior leaders Payal Shankar and Suhasini Reddy are front-runners in the lobbying for the saffron party ticket.
Srinivas met senior Congress leader and former minister Ramchander Reddy and DCC president Sajid Khan before leaving for Hyderabad to join the Congress. The former is reportedly not happy with Reddy's decision to join the Congress. Ramchander is seeking a Congress ticket for his close relative and former Adilabad market committee chairman, Sanjiv Reddy.
Ramchander was not in active politics for the last four years but is now showing up in public life again. TPCC president Revanth Reddy reportedly asked him to guide the leaders since he has vast experience.
Ramchander Reddy claims he still has special love and affection for the Congress party.
