BRS rebels likely to meet Rahul on Monday before joining Congress

Hyderabad: BRS rebels Jupally Krishna Rao and former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy are likely to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday before announcing their decision to join the party.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A Revanth Reddy and some other top leaders will take the two BRS rebels to Rahul Gandhi for the meeting.

Krishna Rao and Srinivasa Reddy and their supporters are also likely to attend the meeting. After the meeting, the two leaders are likely to hold a press conference to announce their joining the Congress party.

A key meeting of Telangana Congress leaders with the party’s central leaders is also scheduled in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the proposed joining of the BRS rebels. The central leadership has also summoned the key leaders from undivided Khammam and Mahabubnagar districts. The BRS rebels are likely to formally join the Congress party at a public meeting at Khammam on July 2 which will be addressed by Rahul Gandhi.

Both the leaders were suspended from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in April for anti-party activities.

Krishna Rao had resigned from Congress to join BRS in 2011. He was elected from Kollapur constituency in Mahabubnagar district in 2014 on BRS ticket. He felt sidelined in the BRS after MLA Harshvardhan Reddy, who had defeated him in 2018 elections, switched his loyalties from Congress to BRS after Assembly polls.

Srinivas Reddy, who was elected to Lok Sabha from Khammam on YSR Congress Party ticket in 2014, later switched loyalties to BRS. He was unhappy after KCR denied him a party ticket for both 2018 Assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

TPCC working president Mahesh Kumar Goud said the high command wants to ensure that the joining of the two leaders doesn't create problems for the party leaders who have long been working for Congress party in these two districts. As part of these efforts, the central leaders will consult senior party leaders from the two districts.

Congress sources said the meeting is also likely to discuss the possible joining of more leaders from BRS and BJP. The state leaders will convey their demands to the high command.

Meanwhile, AICC in-charge for Telangana, Manikrao Thakare met senior Congress leader and former minister K. Jana Reddy. They are believed to have discussed the proposed joining of BRS leaders into the party and the strategy for the upcoming Assembly polls. They later went to the house of former TPCC president and party MP Uttam Kumar Redy and met him.

Revanth Reddy had called on Krishna Rao and Srinivasa Reddy on June 2 to invite them to join the Congress party.

Srinivasa Reddy told reporters that he will announce his decision in 3-4 days. Krishna Rao also agreed with the need to unite anti-KCR forces to realise the dreams of Telangana martyrs.

Revanth Reddy had stated that Telangana is witnessing re-alignment of anti-KCR forces ahead of the Assembly elections. Two MLCs, some former MLAs and a couple of Zilla Parishad chairpersons are also likely to join Congress party.