Six BRS MLCs Defect to Congress, Changing the Balance in Telangana Legislative Council

Image for: Six BRS MLCs Defect to Congress, Changing the Balance in Telangana Legislative Council

📷 Image Credits: The Hindu

In a surprising turn of events, six members of the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) in the Legislative Council decided to join the Congress late on July 4, under the watchful eye of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. The MLCs who made the switch include Dande Vittal, Bhanu Prasad, B. Dayanand, Prabhakar Rao, Egge Mallesham, and Basavaraju Saraiah. The move came as a blow to the BRS as it reduces their number in the Council to 21, while bolstering the Congress’ count to 12 in the Upper House.

These defections hold significant political weight, as most of the MLCs who crossed over were originally from the Congress party before switching over to the BRS during their time in power. The shift in allegiance is part of a larger trend, with other BRS members like Kuchukulla Damodar Reddy, Patnam Mahender Reddy, and even Council Chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy rumored to be considering joining the Congress.

The Congress, which now has 12 MLCs in the 40-member Legislative Council, has been steadily gaining ground with defections from the BRS in recent months. This development comes on the heels of senior BRS leader K. Keshava Rao quitting the party and joining the Congress, along with six BRS MLAs making the switch in the past few months.

The move is seen as a strategic boost for the Congress in the Upper House, where it previously had only six members. With a higher number of MLCs, the Congress now has the opportunity to push through key legislation, including acts like the ROR Act and the replacement of Rythu Bandhu with Rythu Bharosa. As political dynamics continue to shift in Telangana, these defections signal a changing landscape in the state’s political arena.