One more MLA deserts BRS, Congress strength up to 70

HYDERABAD : Yet another MLA — legislator from Jagtial M Sanjay Kumar — joined the ruling Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday night.

Revanth, who is also the president of the TPCC, welcomed Sanjay into the Congress fold by draping a shawl around his neck at his residence.

Sanjay was the fifth BRS MLA to change loyalties to the Congress.

With the latest addition, the strength of Congress in the Telangana Legislative Assembly has increased to 70.

The latest development comes two days after top BRS leader and former Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy joined the Congress fold.

However, the Congress welcoming the Jagtial MLA into the party didn’t go well with senior leader T Jeevan Reddy, who was defeated by Sanjay in the Assembly elections.

Speaking to the media earlier in the day, Jeevan said that the Congress had a clear majority in the Assembly with 65 MLAs and there was no need for it to take MLAs from other parties.

He further said that the a political party should function based on “ideologies” and not on opportunistic politics.

It is being speculated that a former minister from the BRS is also likely to join the Congress very soon.

It may be mentioned here that the Congress leaders have been stating that they are in touch with 20 BRS MLAs.