Bhupathi Reddy quits TRS, joins Congress

​New Delhi: Alleging that activists and leaders of Telangana movement were being insulted and rendered injustice by the party leadership, dissident MLC Bhupathi Reddy resigned from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and joined the Congress in the presence of AICC chief Rahul Gandhi here on Friday.

Speaking to the media later, Bhupathi Reddy said he was in the TRS since its inception and helped strengthen the party in the district for 14 years. But he was forced to leave the party as Telangana betrayers were being given top priority and positions in the party. He further alleged that caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had miserably failed to develop the State in all sectors in the last four-and-a-half years.

Bhupathi Reddy said real farmers were not getting benefit from the Rythu Bandhu scheme. While the State government should have announced remunerative price for farm produce, Chandrashekar Rao had transformed the surplus Telangana into debts-ridden Telangana. Chandrashekar Rao was being surrounded by Telangana betrayers, he fumed. He also reminded that Chandrashekar Rao had assured the STs of 9 per cent reservations and 12 per cent to the Minorities but failed in his promise.

Chandrashekar Rao did not even help 400 activists out of 1,200 protagonists, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of Telangana. TRS leaders, who scolded Chandrashekar Rao, were inducted in the Cabinet. He also alleged that the TRS was sending out the leaders, who served the party sincerely. The Congress belonged to weaker sections and backward classes, he said and exuded confidence that everything was possible with the Congress and hence he joined the party. He also announced that he would contest from the Nizamabad Rural constituency.