HYDERABAD: With former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, former minister Jupally Krishna Rao and MLC K Damodhar Reddy more or less confirming their entry into the party fold, the second phase of “Operation Akarsh” of the Telangana Congress has gathered steam.
While Operation Akarsh is part of the Congress strategy to bolster its ranks, the fact that TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy first visited the party’s “star campaigner” Komatireddy Venkat Reddy before they both called on Jupally and Ponguleti to invite them into the Congress fold has sent positive signals to the party cadre.
According to reliable sources, the second phase of Operation Akarsh will see more success in the very near future, with three sitting MLCs from the ruling party and a top leader from the BJP, along with their loyal supporters, joining the Congress. Discussions with these leaders are nearing completion and their joining the party is just a matter of time, the sources said.
Former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh, who shares a good rapport with a former MLA from Nalgonda district, has engaged in discussions with BJP leaders, inviting them to join the Congress. He contacted a BJP MLA on the phone and spoke about the need to unite and defeat BRS, the sources said, adding that the BJP legislator expressed the need for 15 days to deliberate with his followers and close associates before making a decision.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders have held multiple meetings with former MLAs from the ruling party, setting the stage for their eventual shift to the grand old party. These MLAs are expected to follow in the footsteps of Ponguleti and Jupally.
Meanwhile, three sitting MLCs from erstwhile Rangareddy, Mahabubnagar, and Warangal constituencies are in touch with their respective followers and are likely to announce their decision soon, if sources are to be believed.
In the meantime, former MLAs from Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Rangareddy districts are awaiting clearance from the Congress high command. Likewise, a former minister from South Telangana, who is presently with the BJP, is waiting for the Congress high command’s green signal. The influx of leaders from the BRS and BJP has led to a sense of excitement within Telangana Congress circles, with the leaders getting increasingly confident of storming to power.