Anti-KCR forces coming together, says Telangana Congress chief

Hyderabad, June 21 (IANS) Telangana Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy said on Wednesday that the state is witnessing re-alignment of anti-KCR forces ahead of the Assembly elections.

Revanth Reddy said as part of the process, he is inviting several leaders to join the Congress. The state Congress chief was speaking to reporters after inviting former minister Jupally Krishna Rao and ex-MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy to join the party.

Both Krishna Rao and Srinivasa Reddy were recently suspended from the ruling Bhaarat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for anti-party activities.

Revanth Reddy along with party MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and other senior leaders met Krishna Rao and Srinivasa Reddy on Wednesday and invited them to join the party.

While Srinivasa Reddy told reporters that he will announce his decision in 3-4 days, Krishna Rao agreed with the need to unite anti-KCR forces to realise the dreams of Telangana's martyrs.

According to Congress sources, both the leaders will meet Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on June 25. The next day they will announce their decision to join the Congress at a press conference.

Two MLCs, some former MLAs and a couple of Zilla Parishad chairpersons are also likely to join the Congress.

All the leaders will formally join the Congress at a public meeting at Khammam on July 2 which will be addressed by Rahul Gandhi, sources said.

Revanth Reddy said that a re-alignment of anti-KCR forces will be done to bring Congress to power so that justice can be done to Dalits, tribals, minorities and weaker sections of the society.

He noted that many leaders are raising their voice against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and they will all be brought together so that they play their role in bringing 'Indiramma Rajyam' in the state.

The state Congress chief exuded confidence that the Congress will win 15 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, and thus play a key role in strengthening the party at the Centre.

Krishna Rao said that the BRS has lost the moral right to rule Telangana, adding that BRS and KCR have betrayed Telangana's martyrs by not fulfilling their dreams. He also alleged that all the schemes of the BRS government are aimed at fooling the people and that it is neck deep in corruption.

Stating that there are dissidents in the BJP and other parties, he underlined the need to unite them to become a strong force.

Srinivasa Reddy said that KCR's rule is against the spirit of self-rule, adding that for the last four months, he along with krishna Rao visited various parts of the state and met people from various sections of the society.

"After consultation with all, we have almost taken a decision in tune with the people's aspirations and we will announce the same shortly," he said.

Srinivas Reddy, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Khammam on YSR Congress Party ticket in 2014, later switched loyalties to BRS. He was unhappy after KCR denied him a party ticket for both 2018 Assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Krishna Rao had resigned from the Congress to join the BRS in 2011. He was elected from the Kollapur constituency in Mahabubnagar district in 2014 on a BRS ticket. He felt sidelined in the BRS after MLA Harshvardhan Reddy, who had defeated him in 2018, switched his loyalties from Congress to BRS after the Assembly polls.