Former MP and Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy on Friday announced that he would soon quit the party and join the Bharatiya Janata Party, which he said was the only alternative to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
Rajagopal disclosed his mind to the reporters on Tirumala hills, after having darshan of Lord Venkateshwara. He said the Congress was fast losing its base in Telangana and had failed to put up any fight against the TRS.
“I was the first person to say that the BJP is the only political alternative to the TRS in Telangana. It is going to get further strengthened in the coming days. I have taken the decision to join the BJP keeping in view the interests of my constituency people,” Rajagopal said.
Though Rajagopal had hinted at joining the BJP almost a year ago, he had not been able to take a decision because the BJP did not perform well in the local body elections. There was no response from the BJP leadership, too, to his overtures.
However, the BJP’s victory in Dubbak assembly by-elections and tremendous performance in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections has emboldened Rajagopal to revive his plans to join the BJP, which has stepped up efforts to attract strong leaders from other parties.
There have been reports that Rajagopal had not been getting along well with his elder brother Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who is the front runner for the PCC chief post. Apparently, Venkat Reddy sought Rajagopal’s help in lobbying for the PCC chief post, but the latter rejected it saying he would join the BJP.
Now, the question is what additional benefit Rajagopal would get if he joined the BJP?
Sources said Rajagopal would have got some good posing in the BJP had he joined the party last year itself. If he joins the BJP, his position would be same as the one he has in the Congress party.
“He cannot expect to be declared as the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP. If at all BJP comes to power, he can at the most become a cabinet minister. The only benefit he might get for joining the BJP now is that he might do some lobbying for getting some contracts for the central projects,” sources said.