Published Mar 23, 2026 | 3:42 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 23, 2026 | 3:42 PM
T Jeevan Reddy.
Synopsis: Senior Telangana Congress leader T Jeevan Reddy has announced he will leave the party, saying he cannot bear the “continuing humiliation, isolation and mental agony” any longer. A four-decade veteran of the Congress, he is likely to join the BRS at a meeting of supporters on 25 March. His exit follows prolonged discord with the party leadership, particularly Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, over the alleged preference given to BRS turncoats inducted into the party.
His decision follows a prolonged dispute with the state leadership, as he accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of favouring defectors over loyalists, with tensions sharpening after the induction of BRS MLA M Sanjay Kumar and the killing of his aide in 2024.
Senior Telangana Congress leader and former minister T Jeevan Reddy has announced he is quitting the party after nearly 40 years of service.
Speaking at a press conference at his residence in Jagtial on Sunday, 22 March, he said he could no longer tolerate the “continuing humiliation, isolation and mental agony” in the party.
He added he would announce his future course of action at a meeting of supporters on Wednesday. Though he did not say where he might be headed, sources close to him said he is likely to join the principal opposition, the BRS.
Earlier, Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind had invited him to join the BJP. But Jeevan Reddy, who was brought up in the Congress ecosystem, may not find the Saffron party suitable.
Jeevan Reddy’s decision to leave the party comes after prolonged internal discord, particularly over the Congress leadership’s handling of defectors from the BRS.
He has repeatedly accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of giving priority to “turncoats” over long-time loyalists who endured a decade in opposition to help the party come to power.
“I cannot tolerate the sidelining of staunch Congress workers who toiled for 10 years while the party was in Opposition,” Reddy said. He added that such policies are demoralising the cadre and could damage the Congress’s national image.
A key flashpoint is his rivalry with Jagtial MLA M Sanjay Kumar, a BRS legislator who defected to the Congress in June 2024. After Kumar’s switch, Reddy opposed his induction in a letter to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, saying it undermined loyalists.
Tensions escalated when Reddy’s close aide, Maru Ganga Reddy, was murdered in broad daylight in Jagtial in October 2024, allegedly by Sanjay Kumar’s associates.
Reddy staged protests, questioned government security for grassroots workers, and asked, “Can’t we run the state without admitting BRS MLAs?”
He holds Revanth Reddy responsible for creating an environment where defectors receive “special treatment”, interfere in district affairs, block loyal Congress functionaries, and foster division.
Jeevan Reddy’s departure is a major blow to the Congress in North Telangana, where he has significant influence as a former MLC and mass leader. It could trigger further dissidence among loyalists who feel overshadowed by defectors.
Signs of the his impending exit have been visible for some time. Supporters removed Congress flags, banners and symbols from his residence, replacing them with neutral flex boards hailing him as “Mee Jana Jeevanudu (Your Man of the People)”.
He was also seen at Eid festivities alongside BRS leaders in Jagtial.
The Congress made last-minute efforts to persuade him to stay. On 21 March, on instructions from AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, a delegation including IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, SC and ST Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar, and Choppadandi MLA Medipally Sathyam visited his residence and urged him not to take a hasty decision.
They said they would convey his concerns to the Chief Minister and the high command and asked him to revisit his decision.
Sources close to Jeevan Reddy said he questioned why he should stay while bearing humiliation in the party. He reportedly insisted the only resolution was to sideline defected MLAs. Emerging from the meeting, he told supporters there was “no change” in his decision.
Meanwhile, BRS leaders, including Korutla MLA Kalvakuntla Sanjay, have welcomed him openly, with one saying they would “carry him on their shoulders” if he joined the party.
Reports say BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has given his nod to Reddy’s entry and is willing to offer him a respectable role in the party.
Close associates and social media posts from his circle said he will join the BRS at the 25 March public meeting, possibly donning the party’s pink scarf in the presence of senior leaders such as working president KT Rama Rao.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
