📷 Image Credits: The Siasat Daily
In a significant development in Telangana’s political landscape, Gadwal BRS MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy has switched sides and joined the Congress party. This move comes as the seventh MLA to leave the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) and join the Congress, following senior politician Keshava Rao Reddy’s defection just three days prior. Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, known for his close association with BRS working president KT Rama Rao, won the combined Mahbubnagar district in the 2023 Assembly elections.
His entry into the Congress was anticipated, as speculations had been circulating for a while. With this latest defection, the Congress’s strength in the legislative council is expected to rise to 10 members. Additionally, reports suggest that four more MLAs are poised to join the Congress after they missed a party meeting on the previous day, signaling a potential political reshuffle.
However, not everyone is pleased with Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy’s decision. Some Congress workers expressed discontent and protested against his entry into the party, claiming it would disrespect party members and prior candidates. Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy’s victory over Congress leader Saritha Tirupathaiah by a narrow margin in the state Assembly elections further adds tension to the situation.
The BRS, facing a series of defections, is grappling with its diminishing numbers as several leaders, including six MLAs, have recently left the party. The ongoing exodus of members from the BRS to the Congress underscores a significant shift in Telangana’s political dynamics, with the Congress’s strength now rising to 72 members.
This move is part of what appears to be ‘Operation Akarsh’ by the Congress, as they continue to attract BRS members to bolster their party’s presence in the region. With Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy’s defection, the BRS faces one of the biggest crises in its existence, as more members contemplate switching their loyalties amidst ongoing political churn in the state.
