In a significant political development, the ruling Congress party in Telangana has received a notable boost ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Five prominent leaders from the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), including a former mayor of Hyderabad and the chairperson of Vikarabad Zilla Parishad, have defected to the Congress ranks.
The notable figures who joined the Congress party include Vikarabad Zilla Parishad chairperson P. Suneetha Mahender Reddy, former Hyderabad mayor Bonthu Rammohan, and his wife, corporator Bonthu Sridevi. The switch of allegiance took place in the presence of AICC in-charge Deepadas Munshi.
Additionally, Kancharla Chandarsekhar Reddy and Banoth Ramana Naik have also pledged their support to the ruling party.
The move is poised to bolster the Congress party’s presence in Greater Hyderabad and its environs, particularly as it aims to rectify its previous shortcomings in the region during the recent Assembly elections.
With the Lok Sabha elections looming, speculations arise that more BRS leaders might follow suit in pursuit of securing party tickets.
This political maneuver echoes a similar scenario from 2014, wherein the then TRS (now BRS) successfully attracted several leaders from Congress and TDP in Hyderabad and surrounding districts, capitalizing on their underperformance in the state capital and adjacent constituencies.
In a formal gesture, Suneetha Reddy tendered her resignation to BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, indicating a decisive shift in her political allegiance.
Moreover, former minister P. Mahender Reddy, husband of Suneetha Reddy, is rumored to follow suit in joining the Congress party, positioning himself as a potential candidate for the Chevella Lok Sabha constituency.
Mahender Reddy’s political trajectory has seen him transition from TDP to BRS, with notable tenures as minister and MLA, highlighting the fluidity of party affiliations in the state’s political landscape.
Similarly, Bonthu Rammohan, who met Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, is eyeing a ticket from the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming elections, further underscoring the shifting dynamics within the political spectrum.
The recent flurry of political realignments indicates an intensifying scramble for electoral advantage, setting the stage for a keenly contested electoral battleground in Telangana.
