A day after BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao claimed that 20 Congress MLAs were ready to quit the party, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy issued a stern warning to his arch rival KCR on Friday saying that he was like a high tension wire, guarding the Congress MLAs and any attempt to touch them would lead to KCR’s collapse.

He also said KCR should mind his own party MLAs as another BRS MLA met the chief minister with the intention of joining the Congress.

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It was clear that the Congress leadership wanted to send out a stern message to BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao after he had told his party leaders that 20 Congress MLAs were in touch with him, implying that the Congress government was tottering to fall.

BRS MLA of Rajendranagar Prakash Goud who had met the chief minister in January, once again met him at his residence today to convey his intention to join the Congress soon with his supporters. Prakash Goud will be the fourth BRS MLA to join the Congress after Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari and Tellam Venkat Rao.

Rajendranagar comes under Chevella constituency, winning which for Revanth Reddy is a prestige issue along with Mahabubnagar.

After his photo op with the BRS MLA, the chief minister left for Mahabubnagar to address the nomination rally for Congress candidate Vamsi Chand Reddy.

Dismissing KCR’s claim that ’20 Congress MLAs were in touch with him and he had advised them to wait’, Reddy warned him to desist from poaching Congress MLAs and instead try to keep his own band of MLAs intact.

“Let alone coming to BRS, no one will be left with you, KCR,” he thundered as he cautioned that this was not the Congress party of the past that its MLAs will follow KCR meekly like sheep. “I am guarding the party like a high tension wire and any attempt to poach our MLAs or touch them will lead to your collapse,” said Reddy in his customary aggressive style.

He also took a dig at KT Rama Rao, the BRS working president who had said the car (electoral symbol) of BRS has gone for servicing. Reddy said the car has suffered engine failure and must be sold out as a scrap. Exhorting the voters to ensure the victory of Congress by more than a lakh votes, he said ”voting for BJP candidate DK Aruna would be like wasting your vote”.

Another former MP D Ravindra Naik, who had been the BJP candidate from Yellandu constituency in Assembly elections but lost the poll, also joined the Congress in the presence of the chief minister.