Speculation rife over Talasani Srinivas Yadav joining Congress soon

Sources said Srinivas Yadav was expected to join Congress in the presence of MP Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders in New Delhi. Though a few local Congress leaders are strongly objecting to the entry of Srinivas Yadav into Congress, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akilesh Yadav was lobbying for Srinivas Yadav with Rahul Gandhi and convinced him to join the Sanathnagar MLA into Congress.

It is learnt that Akilesh Yadav also requested Rahul Gandhi to give Cabinet berth to Srinivas Yadav given his political experience and stronghold in Hyderabad. Akilesh Yadav reportedly conveyed to Rahul Gandhi that Srinivas Yadav’s strong base and cadre support in the city would certainly help the Congress during the next GHMC elections.

It is not clear how the ongoing investigation into the sheep scam would impact as Srinivas Yadav’s name was doing the rounds in the case with the arrest of his former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) K Kalyan Kumar by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Apart from Kalyan, the ACB arrested Telangana Livestock Development Agency CEO Sabavath Ramchander a few weeks ago. The scam took place when Srinivas Yadav was the Minister of Animal Husbandry during the previous BRS regime.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also sought details related to the sheep scam case. Srinivas Yadav has served as Animal Husbandry Minister during the BRS regime since 2019. He was elected as an MLA twice from Sanathnagar Assembly constituency. He earlier represented Secunderabad Assembly constituency. He became an MLA on TDP ticket for the first time in 1994 from Secunderabad Assembly constituency after defeating Congress candidate Mary Ravindranath. He joined BRS in 2015.