Telangana polls: BJP leader Komatireddy Rajgopal quits to join Congress

Rajagopal's exit is a major loss to the BJP in Telangana while strengthening Congress' prospects in the state

Telangana BJP leader and former MLA from Munugode, Komatireddy Rajgopal has resigned from BJP to join the Congress. Rajgopal was among the significant voices in Telangana BJP who raised his voice against the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government. Making a statement about his switch, Reddy said, "BJP failed to emerge as an alternative to BRS and the party failed to take action against the KCR government's corruption."

A Deccan Chronicle (DC) report cited its sources as saying that Rajgopal Reddy joined the Congress to ensure that BRS does not win a third term in Telangana. The source added, "Despite scathing criticism and a barrage of maligning personalised campaigns against him, he has endured it all and decided to focus on a larger goal. He has expressed his intent to contest from both Munugode and Gajwel."

CVoter conducted an opinion poll in the state showing that the BRS will likely win 43 to 55 seats. Congress, on the other hand, is expected to win 48 to 60 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite having fielded its senior leaders to campaign in the state is likely to remain limited to 5 to 11 seats.

If these predictions were to materialise, the hopes of KCR to be elected the CM of Telangana for a third term would vaporise. The DC report said that Rajgopal is keen on contesting elections from the Gajwel seat besides Munugode. However, the Congress party would make the final decision post-discussion in the party poll panel. The party is also relying on internal surveys to choose candidates for the elections.