HYDERABAD: It would be just a matter of time before several other Congress leaders bid adieu to the primary membership to the Grand Old Party and join the saffron fold following in the footsteps of their senior colleagues. After the appointment of the TPCC new president, several other leaders from different factions within the party are likely to jump ship, if the decision goes against their wishes.
It is evident that the party has deferred the decision over the appointment of the TPCC chief sensing possible defections ahead of the Nagarjunasagar bypoll. The two Graduate MLC elections have also landed the party in a soup as many ticket aspirants have left the party. The Medchal District Congress Committee (DCC) president and former Quthbullapur MLA Kuna Srisailam Goud and TPCC spokesperson G Harshavardhan Reddy have resigned from the party. Srisailam Goud has switched his loyalty to BJP on the same day as he resigned from the Congress.
Former Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy had dropped hints on Twitter that he might join the BJP. In one instance, he tweeted, “While I respect BJP on several issues and bills (definitely not all), .... if they are able to take stern steps against the scams and corruption in the State, the respect and support for BJP in the State will grow (sic).”
Multiple Congress leaders including former Ministers are said to be in touch with the BJP leaders. Parigi MLA T Ram Mohan Reddy, K Laxma Reddy, Nerella Sharadha are among the leaders who are reportedly in touch with the BJP leaders.
In another instance, responding to a query, Vishweshwar Reddy tweeted, “BJP is strong. It does not need my help. But if Congress gets cosy with KCR-KTR, I will distance myself from Congress.”Speaking to Express, TPCC working president A Revanth Reddy, however, said, “Before the 2019 AP Assembly elections, TDPchief N Chandrababu Naidu steered defections of YSRCP leaders into his party. But he failed to retain power. Similarly, in Telangana, BJP cannot come to power with a handful of leaders joining them.”
Palvai Harish Babu expelled from Congress
A day prior to Sirpur Assembly constituency in-charge Dr Palvai Harish Babu joining the saffron fold in the presence of BJP Telangana in-charge Tarun Chugh and party State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, the Congress expelled him for “anti-party” activities. Harish contested from Sirpur Assembly constituency on a Congress ticket in the 2018 Assembly elections, albeit unsuccessfully. The TPCC disciplinary committee chairman M Kodanda Reddy told Express that there are several complaints against Harish Babu for his anti-party activities. “The party gave him an opportunity to contest in the 2018 elections. However, after losing the seat he has been violating party discipline,” Kodanda Reddy said.