Published Apr 11, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Apr 11, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Reddy is a five-time MLA and former minister with a strong base in the Karimnagar–Jagtial belt.
Synopsis: T Jeevan Reddy’s exit from the Congress after four decades and move to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi signals growing unrest within the party and could prompt other senior leaders to reconsider their positions. His decision follows discontent over the treatment of loyalists and the induction of defectors, which several Congress veterans say has sidelined the old guard.
Senior Congress leader and former minister T Jeevan Reddy’s switch to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) could be the first domino to fall in Telangana politics, with murmurs growing that several disgruntled Congress seniors may follow suit.
Reddy’s decision to leave the Congress after more than four decades is not just a personal political shift; it signals a deeper churn within the party.
It also shows the pressure building inside the Congress, where even a six-time MLA like Jeevan Reddy could snap his 40-year-long umbilical cord with the party.
He is expected to formally join the BRS at a public meeting in Jagtial on 20 April. Party supremo and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will induct him.
Ahead of his formal entry, Jeevan Reddy met KCR at his farmhouse on Friday. KCR promised him a position befitting his seniority and stature. After KCR hugged him, the Jagtial leader said he met him because it was God’s will.
He reportedly said he was joining the BRS because he wanted to resist the onslaught on Telangana’s interests. A section of senior leaders, uneasy with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s style of functioning, is quietly weighing its options.
For many, the BRS, once written off after its 2023 defeat, is beginning to look like a viable alternative.
Reddy’s entry, in that sense, is a shot in the arm for the BRS, which has been smarting from back-to-back electoral setbacks since losing power in the 2023 Assembly elections.
The outreach by BRS working president KT Rama Rao, reportedly on the directions of party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, shows the party’s renewed strategy to woo experienced Congress leaders who feel sidelined and give them the respect they deserve.
The writing on the wall became clear after KTR’s meeting with Jeevan Reddy at his residence on Thursday. The optics were unmistakable.
A red-carpet welcome, warm words, and assurances of “due respect and responsibility” sent a clear message: the BRS is ready to rehabilitate veterans who feel left out in the cold.
Reddy, a five-time MLA and former minister with a strong base in the Karimnagar–Jagtial belt, did not mince words. He said his “future lies with the BRS”, calling his meeting with KCR a mere formality before formal induction.
His exit letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had already pointed to the brewing discontent; he flagged the “humiliation” of seniors and took aim at what he said was preferential treatment for turncoats.
This grievance is not isolated.
Within the Congress, several senior leaders are believed to be nursing similar concerns. There has also been intermittent unease among veterans, including those in K Jana Reddy’s camp, who feel the old guard is being edged out in favour of newer entrants and defectors.
None has openly signalled a switch, but insiders say the “wait and watch” mood is palpable. If Jeevan Reddy’s move pays off politically, it could embolden others to test the waters.
Much of this resentment stems from the Congress’ aggressive strategy of inducting leaders from rival parties after coming to power in December 2023.
One such entrant was Dr M Sanjay Kumar, a two-time BRS MLA who crossed over to the Congress in 2024 in the presence of Revanth Reddy. For leaders like Jeevan Reddy, who lost to Sanjay in 2023, the move felt like adding insult to injury.
The view that loyalists are being overlooked while defectors are rewarded has not gone down well with sections of the party. Decisions taken without wider consultation have added to the discontent.
For the BRS, this presents a political opening.
After its defeat in 2023, the party has been on the back foot, losing both power and momentum. But with the Congress now grappling with internal fault lines, the pink party senses an opportunity to regain lost ground.
By bringing in seasoned leaders with grassroots connect, it hopes to rebuild its organisational strength and craft a credible comeback narrative ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Jeevan Reddy’s clout, particularly among farmers and rural voters, could prove valuable. More importantly, his switch sends a signal that the BRS is back in the game, not just as an opposition force but as a party capable of attracting heavyweight leaders.
The political ripples are already visible in Jagtial, where the rivalry between Jeevan Reddy and Sanjay Kumar has come full circle. In a classic case of political musical chairs, the two leaders have effectively swapped camps, each now taking on the other from opposite sides of the aisle.
Whether this high-stakes gamble pays off remains to be seen. The Congress faces a clear challenge: it must plug internal leaks before they turn into a flood. The BRS, for its part, must convert these symbolic gains into electoral dividends.
One thing is certain: if Jeevan Reddy’s move triggers the domino effect many predict, Telangana politics could be in for another round of churn, with loyalties shifting and equations being redrawn well before the next election.
