In a jolt to the Telangana BJP ahead of assembly elections in the state, former MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy has resigned from the party and announced his decision to rejoin the Congress.
Reddy’s name was missing from the initial list of 52 candidates announced by the BJP for the upcoming elections in the state.
In a statement to the media, Rajgopal Reddy said he was joining the Congress as the BJP had failed to emerge as an alternative to the BRS and take on the KCR Government on the issue of corruption.
Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy had lost the Munugode bypoll to the BRS by 10,000 votes as a BJP candidate last year. He had resigned as a Congress MLA from Munugode in August last year claiming that he could not work under PCC chief A Revanth Reddy before joining the BJP thereby forcing one of the most expensive bypoll in recent times where liquor and cash flowed freely.
Interestingly, during the Munugode polls, the BRS had alleged that Raj Gopal was lured by the BJP with mining contracts to his company worth Rs 20,000 crore. After the polls in Karnataka, as the Congress appeared to be gaining ground, Raj Gopal showed signs of discontent and was made a member of the National Executive committee by the BJP.
He wrote on his X handle, “Positions are not new to me. My decision is for the people. Hoping that my decision to join the Congress will be blessed by all workers and fans.”
He said although he had gone to the BJP and was returning once again to the Congress, his aim remained the same – to free the state from KCR’s family and its corrupt, anarchic and undemocratic rule.
Raj Gopal Reddy’s elder brother, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Congress MP from Nalgonda, had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah a few times but chose to remain with the party as it witnessed a resurgence after it won the Karnataka polls.
An influential leader, Venkat Reddy will be contesting from the Nalgonda seat. While Raj Gopal is expected to join the Congress formally on 27 October, a few other BJP leaders are also tipped to rejoin the Congress before the elections.