Telangana Congress MLA may join BJP

The Congress in Telangana received another jolt as senior party leader and legislator K. Rajagopal Reddy on Saturday dropped hints that he may join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

After losing 12 MLAs to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the Congress now appears to be losing legislators to the BJP, which made big inroads in the state in recent Lok Sabha elections.

Talking to reporters, Rajagopal Reddy attacked his own party, saying it has no future in the state. He also said that the BJP alone can be an alternative to the TRS in the state.

Rajagopal Reddy, who was elected to Telangana Assembly from Munugode constituency in Nalgonda district, said he would consult his followers before taking a decision to join the BJP.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, he said the "revolutionary measures" taken by him during last five years had helped the BJP get a fresh mandate in recent elections. He claimed that people, especially youth, believed that the country will develop under the leadership of Modi.

He also said many leaders were looking towards the BJP. His comments assumed significance in the wake of claims of the BJP state leadership that many Congress leaders were in touch with them.

Rajagopal Reddy blamed Congress leadership for the party's sorry state of affairs in the state. He targeted state in charge R.C. Khuntia and state Congress President Uttam Kumar Reddy, saying their style of functioning led to party's crushing defeat in the Assembly elections in December last year.

He said if the leadership had taken immediate action to remove Khuntia and Uttam Kumar Reddy, the party would have done well in Lok Sabha elections. He said after losing 12 MLAs to the TRS, the Congress was demoralized.

Rajagopal Reddy's brother K. Venkat Reddy was one of three Congress candidates elected in the Lok Sabha elections. Making major inroads, the BJP won four seats, wresting three from the TRS, which won nine seats out of 17 seats in the state.

--IANS

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