In another setback to the Telangana BJP, former MP G Vivek Venkataswamy on Wednesday resigned from the saffron party and rejoined the Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi.
He is quite a serial party hopper who jumped from the Congress to the TRS, then went back to the Congress and the TRS before finally going to the BJP in 2019 after the Parliamentary elections. A prominent industrialist and the owner of a vernacular Telugu channel, Vivek was also heading the BJP’s Manifesto Committee.
“With a heavy heart, I tender my resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party,” read his resignation letter addressed to Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy. He later met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at his hotel along with his son Vamshi.
TPCC president A Revanth Reddy, who accompanied him, said that they had urged him to rejoin the Congress to bring down the KCR led government. “Rahul Gandhi had spoken to him over phone to ensure his return to the Congress. Today he joined the Congress in Rahul Gandhi’s presence,” said Reddy.
This is the second key leader from the BJP who jumped ship from the Congress and returned to their fold before the Assembly elections. Former MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy too returned to the Congress and secured the ticket for Munugode.
Venkataswamy, who is a former MP from Peddapalli, is said to be keen for a Lok Sabha ticket and his son Vamshi may contest the upcoming Assembly elections from Chennur seat.
He said: “A ticket is not important,” and went on to add “During the last decade only the family of KCR has flourished. So, I thought the BRS must be defeated by joining hands with the Congress.”
Following the Karnataka election results, the Congress in Telangana witnessed a resurgence and many of the leaders who chose to drift to the BJP are keen to come back. Both G Vivek and K Raj Gopal Reddy were expected to jump ship along with other leaders like Konda Visheshwar Reddy and Vijayshanti.