Ahead of Amit Shah's Visit, Another Congress MLA May Join BJP in Telangana

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP state president K Lakshman said on Sunday.

Congress party is already facing a crisis in the state after two-thirds of its MLAs have joined the ruling TRS. With the exit of Reddy from the party, the Congress will further weaken in the state.

Lakshman said that Home minister and BJP chief, Amit Shah, is likely to visit the state in a bid to strengthen the party in the state. It is expected that Reddy will join BJP in the presence of Shah.

Amit Shah’s visit is being seen as the entry of the party in the state politics and to strengthen its presence in the next assembly elections. BJP won four out of the 17 seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Rajagopal Reddy dodged apprehensions on his switch by saying that he would meet his followers to decide his future course of action. Meanwhile he slammed the TPCC Chief N Utham Kumar Reddy and state incharge RC Khuntia for failing to win the polls. Congress is lacking strong leadership and facing hardship he added.

Hitting out at the ruling party, BJP state president Lakshman said that CM K Chandrashekar Rao has deliberately skipped the Niti Ayog meeting addressed by the Prime Minister as he could not face Modi in the crucial meeting.

Lakshman also suggested that the chief minister should invite the prime minister for the Kaleshwaram launch on June 21. The Centre has been extending help to Telangana government for the Kaleshwaram and KCR should invite Modi for the project inaugural he added. The BJP has special focus on Telangana to strengthen the party with party chief Amit Shah likely to visit, he said.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka described Reddy's remarks hailing BJP as his personal opinion and said the party high command would take a decision in the backdrop of the MLA's critical comments about the party. "That is his personal opinion. If anybody thinks BJP will be the alternative, it's only a myth, he told reporters here.

(With inputs from PTI)