As expected, former MLA from Munugode assembly constituency in Nalgonda district of Telangana Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
He is likely to make a return to the Congress party in a day or two. He is holding a meeting of his supporters and followers to take a final decision.
“There is a serious anti-incumbency against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government in the state. There are clear indications that the people desperately want a change in the government,” he said.
Stating that the BJP has failed to emerge as a powerful alternative to the BRS, Rajagopal Reddy said the people were now looking up to the Congress as an alternative.
“I have decided to go as per the wishes of the people,” he said.
Stating that his only objective was to liberate Telangana from the family rule of KCR, the former MLA said he was hopeful that his objective would be fulfilled in the next five weeks.
The industrialist-politician had joined the BJP amid much fanfare at a public meeting in Mungode in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in August last year.
He also resigned from his assembly membership, necessitating the by-election to Munugode assembly seat. He entered the fray as a BJP candidate but lost the bypoll but lost the seat to the BRS.
Rajgopal Reddy, who is the brother of Congress MP from Bhongir Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, was not happy with the BJP leadership and he was one of the leaders who demanded the central leadership remove Bandi Sanjay as the party’s state president.
A former MP from Bhongir, Rajgopal Reddy was recently appointed as a member of the national executive of the BJP. However, he was not actively participating in the party programmes for the last few months.
He was reportedly keen to contest the ensuing Assembly election from the LB Nagar constituency. His name was missing from the first list of candidates announced by the BJP on Sunday.
However, after the defeat in the Munugode bypoll, Raj Gopal Reddy did not feel comfortable in the BJP. With the Congress witnessing a resurgence in Telangana following victory in Karnataka elections and many leaders from the BRS and BJP switching loyalties to the Congress party in recent months, Rajgopal Reddy also appears to have made his mind to return to the Congress camp.