He is miffed over the party denying him a ticket, and instead fielding K Rajesh Reddy, son of BRS MLC K Damodar Reddy in Nagarkurnool Assembly seat.
Ministers KT Rama Rao, and T Harish Rao called on Nagam Janardhan Reddy at his residence and invited him to join them. (X)
Nagam Janardhan Reddy — who was a minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh from 1995 to 2004, when he was a part of the TDP — resigned from the Congress and joined the BRS on Sunday, 29 October.
He had apparently been unhappy over the Congress not nominating him from the Nagarkurnool Assembly seat.
Instead, the party nominated K Rajesh Reddy, son of BRS MLC K Damodar Reddy, which hurt Janardhan Reddy.
He levelled serious allegations against the Congress’ state leadership.
Learning about Janardhan Reddy toying with the idea of switching loyalty to the BRS, Telangana ministers KT Rama Rao (KTR) and T Harish Rao called on him at his residence and invited him to join them.
Subsequently, he told reporters on Sunday that he had sent his resignation letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge earlier in the day.
Janardhan Reddy said that he joined the Congress in 2018 when N Uttam Kumar Reddy was the TPCC president, and that he left the party honouring the opinion of his supporters.
“The Congress ignored the party loyalists who served it through its thick and thin, and allotted tickets to those who joined the party recently,” he said.
He also said that he would work for the victory of BRS candidate Marri Janardhan Reddy. He said the Congress did not honour its Udaipur declaration while allotting tickets.
“I was humiliated in the party. There is no place for those who fought for Telangana and strove to strengthen the Congress. My supporters urged me to quit the Congress and join the BRS,” he said.
Meanwhile, BRS working president KTR said that they visited Janardhan Reddy and invited him to join the BRS on the instruction of the chief minister.
“KCR and Janardhan Reddy have been friends for the past 40 years. Janardhan Reddy and his followers would have a respectable position in the party. Janardhan Reddy was one who always fought for the Telangana state,” he said.
Janardhan Reddy started his political career with the TDP and served as minister for health and minister for home between 1995-2004.
In 2011, the TDP suspended him for “anti-party activities”. At that time, the Telangana movement was at its height.
He took a deep dive into the agitation. He also experimented with starting a new party named the Telangana Nagara Samithi, but it failed.
He later merged it with the BJP. In 2018, after quitting the BJP, he joined the Congress.
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