Vivek has been assured that either he or his son Vamshi would be given the ticket to contest from Chennur Assembly constituency.
Published Nov 01, 2023 | 2:24 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 01, 2023 | 7:46 PM
G Vivek Venkataswamy. (Instagram)
In a blow to the BJP in Telangana ahead of the 30 November state Assembly polls, former MP G Vivek Venkatswamy joined the Congress.
Following the footsteps of former MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, Vivek joined the Congress in the presence of party MP Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad on Wednesday, 1 November.
In his brief resignation letter addressed to Union Tourism Minister and Telangana BJP state president G Kishan Reddy, Vivek said, “With a heavy heart, I tender my resignation from the BJP. Thank you for your support during my tenure.”
Vivek’s decision is a setback for the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections. As a senior party leader, he played a crucial role during by-elections in the Dubbaka, Huzurabad, and Munugode Assembly constituencies. While the BJP won Dubbaka and Huzurabad constituencies, it lost it Munugode.
Vivek went to Novotel Hotel, where Rahul Gandhi has been staying since Tuesday to address rallies and public meetings as part of the election campaign in the state, and joined the Congress.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A Revanth Reddy was also present on the occasion.
Vivek has been dilly-dallying for the last few months whether to quit the BJP and join the Congress. There were also rumours that he might return to the BRS.
However, on Wednesday, he quit the BJP and joined the Congress after getting an assurance from the party high command that either he or his son Vamshi would be given a chance to contest from Chennur Assembly constituency on the grand old party’s ticket.
The BJP had also agreed to give tickets to Vivek or his family members. Given the political scenario in the state following the BJP’s drubbing in the Karnataka elections, he decided to quit the party and join the Congress.
Earlier, Vivek was in Congress before joining the BRS. After the BRS denied him a ticket during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he joined the BJP.
A few days ago, Rajagopal Reddy quit the BJP and joined the Congress in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi after which the party high command allotted Munugode Assembly constituency ticket to him.
