As Bhadrachalam MLA Venkat Rao quits BRS and joins Congress, KTR questions hypocrisy of the grand old party

Meanwhile, BRS working president and former minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) criticised the Congress for “poaching” BRS leaders.

Rao, incidentally, was part of Congress’ manifesto launch event on Saturday evening headed by Rahul Gandhi in Telangana.

Another @BRSparty party, Bhadrachalam MLA Tellam Venkat Rao joins @INCIndia party in the presence of #Telangana Chief Minister and @INCTelangana president @revanth_anumula Reddy on Sunday.

He is the third MLA who left #BRS to join Congress. Other two MLAs were Danam Nagendar… pic.twitter.com/Z4trIDjrpb

— South First (@TheSouthfirst) April 7, 2024

Also Read: BRS gets taste of ‘defection pill’ as Congress expands in Hyderabad

KTR criticises Congress

After Congress announced the joining of Venkat Rao, KTR took to X and slammed it for its hypocrisy.

He questioned the promise in the Congress manifesto released on Friday, which said that if elected to power after the Lok Sabha elections, it would implement an anti-defection law.

“This hypocrisy of a party called Congress. Yesterday @RahulGandhi waxed eloquent about party defections & amendments to 10th schedule for automatic disqualification. Today, his party shamelessly poached one BRS MLA,” he wrote on X.

“When you don’t mean it, Why this Nautanki & Drama Rahul Ji?” he questioned.

This hypocrisy of a party called Congress

Yesterday @RahulGandhi waxed eloquent about party defections & amendments to 10th schedule for automatic disqualification

Today, his party shamelessly poached one BRS MLA

When you don’t mean it, Why this Nautanki & Drama Rahul Ji?… pic.twitter.com/6JsUC9Ron4

— KTR (@KTRBRS) April 7, 2024

“We promise to amend the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and make defection (leaving the original party on which the MLA or MP was elected) an automatic disqualification of the membership in the Assembly or Parliament,” the Congress had said in its election manifesto.

Other defections

Earlier on March 31, BRS MLA from Ghanpur ( Station) and former minister Kadiam Srihari and his daughter Kadiam Kavya joined the Congress party.

Kavya was also announced as the grand old party’s Lok Sabha election candidate from Warangal.

Another MLA from Khairtabad Danam Nagender also quit the party and joined Congress. He will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls from the Secunderabad segment.

Earlier, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Mayor Vijaya Laxmi R Gadwal had also joined the party Her father and Rajya Sabha Member K Keshava Rao also pledged his alliance to the grand old party.

Keshava Rao was a key figure in the BRS party and chief architect of the party’s several programmes. Before joining hands with KCR, he had worked as PCC president of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

(With PTI inputs)