HYDERABAD: In yet another jolt to the BRS, former Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy on Friday joined the Congress immediately after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy visited his residence and invited him to join the grand old party.
The five-time MLA from Banswada is the fourth Pink Party legislator to jump ship. The former minister is among the top BRS leaders to have joined the Congress in recent times,
K Keshava Rao and Kadiyam Srihari are the others.
In another development, BRS MLA Bandari Lakshma Reddy called on veteran Congress leader K Jana Reddy to offer birthday wishes. Incidentally, pictures of Laxma Reddy’s recent meeting with Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy had gone viral on social media leading to speculation that the former would soon join the grand old party.
With Pocharam’s entry, the strength of the Congress has increased to 69 in the Legislative Assembly.
Pocharam’s suggestions will benefit farmers: CM
In the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress won 64 seats. It later won the Secunderabad Cantonment bypoll. Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari and Tellam Venkata Rao are the other MLAs elected on a BRS ticket in the 2023 elections who have since joined the Congress
With the chief minister himself going to the former speaker’s residence along with Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, MP P Balram Naik and MLA Jatoth Ram Chander Naik to invite him to the party, it was evident that the Congress is keen on inducting BRS MLAs to further strengthen its position.
Speaking to the media outside Pocharam’s residence, the CM said he has invited the veteran leader into his party as the former has stood by farmers throughout his career. Revanth said that the former speaker’s suggestions would benefit farmers, and noted that later in the day, the Cabinet would be taking major decisions about implementation of the agricultural loan waiver scheme, besides other welfare schemes for ryots.
Meanwhile, BRS workers, led by former MLA Balka Suman, tried to lay siege to Pocharam’s residence during the CM’s visiting. However, the police foiled their attempts and registered a case against him and other Pink party leaders.
Later in the day, the Nampally court granted bail to 11 BRS leaders, including Balka Suman.