In a biggest somersault of sorts in a span of 10 hours, Telangana Congress manifesto committee chairman Damodar Raja Narasimha’s wife Padmini Reddy, who quit the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday afternoon, returned to the Congress by evening.
Apparently, Padmini came under pressure from her husband and also his party workers, who did not approve of her defection to the BJP. None of her followers was willing to join the BJP along with her.
At the same time, Damodar also came under pressure from the Congress leadership. He realized that his wife's defection to the BJP would have serious impact on his own prospects in Andole but also the party's prospects elsewhere in Medak district.
So, he had to convince Padmini to return to the Congress, assuring that the party would take care of her political interests.
"I did not expect that there would be so much reaction from my supporters. I realized that my decision had hurt my husband and also the party cadre. Therefore, I have decided to return to the Congress party," she said.
It was only in the morning that Padmini had said she was joining the BJP as she was impressed with the Narendra Modi government’s performance.
Padmini has been nurturing Sangareddy assembly constituency for the last five years. But the Congress party has refused to consider her candidature as it is against one-family-one-seat norm.
Moreover, the party cannot ignore former MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy alias Jagga Reddy in Sangareddy. So, Padmini was frustrated and forced to defect to BJP.