In yet another jolt to BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, another sitting MP BB Patil joined the BJP on Friday following in the footsteps of Pothuganti Ramulu, the BRS MP of Nagarkurnool who joined the Saffron party yesterday.
Patil, a Lingayat leader and two-time MP from Zaheerabad, which borders Karnataka, will contest the same seat on a BJP ticket now.
The BRS, after losing the Assembly elections, has become a happy hunting ground for both the BJP and the Congress as the two national parties are targeting its leaders, particularly in areas where they have organisational lacunae.
The BJP, which hopes to increase its tally this time in Telangana riding on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, does not have strong candidates in certain seats. Hence, it has started wooing sitting MPs from the BRS.
Patil dashed off a four-line resignation letter to party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, thanking him for his two stints as MP before joining BJP in New Delhi in the presence of Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and K Laxman.
The Congress too has started wooing BRS leaders, particularly in and around Hyderabad. Weeks ago, former GHMC mayor Bonthu Rammohan joined the Congress along with his wife and BRS corporator Bonthu Sridevi. Deputy Mayor M Srilatha Reddy also joined the Congress with her husband and BRS leader Sobhan Reddy. Vikarabad Zilla Parishad chairperson Patnam Suneetha joined the grand old party with her husband and ex-minister Patnam Mahender Reddy.
Bonthu Rammohan might be the Congress candidate from the Secunderabad seat held by BJP state president G Kishan Reddy.
The Congress failed to win a single urban seat in Hyderabad and the Ranga Reddy district, which were ironically retained by the BRS leaders who had joined the party from TDP.
The Congress leadership has been trying to placate contenders for the Lok Sabha seats like Renuka Chowdary and Anil Kumar Yadav with Rajya Sabha seats.