Ex-minister Tummala Nageswara Rao quits BRS, to join Congress

Hyderabad, Sep 16 (IANS) Former Telangana minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Saturday resigned from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

He will join the Congress party on Sunday at the public meeting to be addressed by party President Mallikarjun Kharge and top leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Jitta Balakrishna Reddy and Yennam Srinivasa Reddy, who were suspended from BJP recently for anti-party activities, will also join the Congress party.

The joining coincides with the crucial meeting of Congress Working Committee (CWC) beginning in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Nageswara Rao quit the BRS a day after AICC incharge for Telangana Manikrao Thakrey along with Telangana Congress President A. Revanth Reddy had met him at his residence in Hyderabad.

Last month, Revanth Reddy had invited Nageswara Rao to join the Congress party.

The former minister was miffed with BRS after he was denied ticket from Palair constituency for the coming Assembly elections.

BRS has given ticket to Kandla Upender Reddy, who was elected on Congress ticket in 2018 but later defected to the BRS.

Nageswara Rao was elected on BRS ticket from Palair in 2016 by-election. In 2018, he lost to Upender Reddy.

After denial of the ticket, the former minister held a massive show of strength in Khammam. He told his supporters that he will contest the coming Assembly election.

Nageswara Rao’s joining is likely to give a big boost to the party’s prospects in undivided Khammam district.

The Congress was already upbeat after former Khammam MP and suspended BRS leader Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy had joined the party.