Telangana elections: Disappointed ex-MLA of BRS, Cong leaders join BJP

Congress leader Kishan Reddy and Bapu Rao, who is an MLA from Boath joined the BJP in the presence of BJP president J P Nadda in Delhi on Wednesday

As the Telangana Assembly elections approach closer, leaders in the state are switching parties to suit their politics. The latest are BRS MLA Rathod Bapu Rao and Congress leader Chalamala Krishna Reddy, who have decided to join the BJP less than a month before the elections. Telangana goes to elections on November 30.

Congress leader Kishan Reddy and Bapu Rao, who is a MLA from Boath, along with some other leaders from the Yellareddy constituency, joined the party in the presence of BJP president J P Nadda in Delhi on Wednesday, a PTI report said.

"After the induction called on Hon'ble HM Shri AmitShah ji. These joinings will further strengthen the party in respective constituencies," state BJP president and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said on "X" on Thursday.

Earlier, Bapu Rao was denied a ticket by the ruling BRS to contest the November 30 assembly polls, while Krishna Reddy was a Congress ticket aspirant in the Munugode assembly constituency. However, Congress has declared former MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy as its candidate from Munugode. The two leaders were disappointed because of not getting party tickets and thus, decided to switch to the BJP.

Raj Gopal Reddy had recently quit the BJP and returned to the Congress fold. His resignation from Congress led to a by-poll in Munugode last year.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced elections for the five poll-bound states on October 9: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Telangana. The elections in Telangana will be held on November 30, and the results will be announced on December 3.