Pathancheru MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy, who had defected from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi to the Congress in 2024, took a U-turn on Monday, a couple days before the polling in the municipal elections.
Mahipal Reddy triggered a political storm by urging his followers and supporters to vote for the BRS in the municipal elections. Though he defected the Congress, he technically continues to remain in the BRS.
Speaking at a meeting with labour union leaders held at his camp office on Monday, Mahipal Reddy called on his supporters to ensure the victory of BRS candidates in the civic polls.
Mahipal Reddy, who has been playing important role in the Congress after his defection, has been maintaining distance from the Congress and is understood to be dissatisfied with the party leadership, as he feels neglected and ignored by the Revanth Reddy government.
His brother, Madhusudan Reddy, along with several key supporters, recently joined the BRS, signalling a possible shift in political alignment.
Speculation is rife in political circles that Mahipal Reddy himself may formally join the BRS after the municipal elections.
Sources indicate that he is unhappy over what he perceives as a lack of developmental benefits for his constituency from the Congress government.
Moreover, the chief minister is said to be not happy with Mahipal Reddy’s involvement in various scams.
In November last, the Enforcement Directorate attached Rs 80 crore worth of assets of Santosh Sand and Granite Supply, owned by Madhusudhan Reddy, brother of Mahipal Reddy, in an alleged illegal mining case.
The company’s proprietor Gudem Madhusudhan Reddy and others are accused of earning Rs 300 crore through illegal mining, and also causing revenue loss of Rs 39 crore to the government.
The ED had questioned both the brothers in July last year following raids at seven locations associated with them.
The ED had initiated the investigation on the basis of FIRs registered by Patancheru Police, which alleged that the people running Santosh Sand and Granite Supply have cheated the state government “by carrying out excess mining in the assigned quarry area and also carrying out illegal mining in unassigned government land.”
Sources said the MLA believes that the chief minister was behind the raids on his brother’s firm.