Along with the two leaders, over 30 BRS leaders, most of whom were not very prominent, also expressed their desire to join the Congress.
Published Jun 26, 2023 | 11:22 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 26, 2023 | 11:22 PM
Jupally Krishna Rao, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, and Revanth Reddy with Rahul Gandhi. (Twitter)
Ringing down the curtain on months-long suspense in Telangana politics, former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and former minister Jupally Krishna Rao, on Monday, 26 June, announced that they would soon be joining the Congress.
Their decision, which has long been awaited by the party workers, ended the speculation that both leaders may be having second thoughts about joining the ranks of the grand old party.
The two leaders, who were suspended from the BRS for anti-party activities on 11 April, made the announcement that they would join the Congress after conferring with the party’s top leaders Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, and party general secretary KC Venugopal in New Delhi on Monday afternoon.
Their meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Kharge has been long overdue.
Though the BJP also tried to land them, they finally decided to be on the side of the Congress, what with its fortunes looking up after the party’s resounding victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections.
The two leaders, who had even tried to float a party themselves, decided against the idea as they did not have much time on hand.
At that time they were not sure if either the Congress or the BJP was powerful enough to challenge the BRS, which is firmly entrenched in the Telangana soil.
Winds of change are sweeping through Telangana.
In a big boost to the Congress party's prospects, more and more people are aligning with us to take the message of love and prosperity forward.
Today, senior leaders from Telangana joined the Congress party in the presence of… pic.twitter.com/mkgd6ToL6k
— Telangana Congress (@INCTelangana) June 26, 2023
Speaking to media persons, Srinivasa Reddy said that he would formally join the Congress at a mammoth public meeting that would be organised at Khammam on 2 July, in the presence of Rahul Gandhi.
Jupally Krishna said that he would follow suit either in the second or third week of July with a similar event in the Mahabubnagar district.
He said it could be either on 14 or 16 July, in the presence of Party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi.
Along with the two leaders, over 30 BRS leaders, most of whom not very prominent, also expressed their desire to join the Congress party.
A festive atmosphere permeated the AICC headquarters after the meeting of the Congress leaders.
All the important leaders of the party were in attendance, including Telangana state unit chief A Revanth Reddy, MPs Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, former Union minister Renuka Chowdary, leaders Shabbir Ali, K Jana Reddy, and Madhu Yashki Goud.
Rahul Gandhi and Kharge posed for pictures with the leaders from Telangana with a party worker waving a huge Congress flag in the background to sustain the fervour.
Later, addressing media persons, the two leaders tore into the BRS dispensation in Telangana and predicted its downfall in the Assembly elections later this year.
Srinivasa Reddy, who is raring to exact revenge against KCR for humiliating him when he was in the BRS, said that the public meeting in Khammam would be a spectacular one.
He said that KCR had let down the people who elected him twice, though it was the Congress party that had gifted Telangana to them.
As KCR can weave a web of magic with his words, only the Congress appeared to be the appropriate party to challenge him, Srinivasa Reddy said, and pointed out that the performance record of the BRS remained dismal in respect of promises made to the people.
He said after the advent of the BRS government, the self-respect of the state’s people had taken a beating and they were seething with rage at KCR.
He claimed that the people in Telangana had made up their minds to support the Congress to bring down the BRS government, adding that their decision to join the grand old party was a well-considered one.
“We had discussed the idea with several people who advised us against forming a new party. They suggested that we would be able to realise the ambition of the people by joining an existing party that has the grit to fight KCR,” he said.
The former MP also said that the BJP was fast losing its sheen and it held no attraction for them anymore.
He added that they were doubtful about whether it could be able to challenge the BRS at all.
The fortunes of the Congress are on the rise after Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said, adding that they decided after deliberating on the issue for nearly six months.
Jupally Krishna Rao said that, trusting KCR, he and several others worked under him during the movement for Telangana.
But after the formation of the separate state, KCR displayed his true colours with a rule marked by hogwash and inane promises, he said.
“The chief minister does not tolerate any dissent and his rule should end. Even God will not forgive the people if they do not vote the Congress to power this time,” he said.
