Telangana MLA Rajagopal Reddy to join BJP on Aug 21

Hyderabad, Aug 5

Three days after announcing his resignation from the Congress party, MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy said he would be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on August 21.

He said he would be formally joining the saffron party in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a meeting in Telangana.

Rajagopal Reddy made the announcement in Delhi after meeting Shah. The MLA was accompanied by BJP's national executive member Vivek Venkatswamy.

The MLA from Munugode said Amit Shah invited him to join the party and he accepted the invitation.

He said he would meet Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy on August 8 and submit his resignation from the Assembly.

He predicted that the by-election to Munugode constituency will bring a big change in Telangana. He said he was not going for the by-election for his own sake but wanted to bring a change in the state politics.

He exuded confidence that the people of Munugode will give a mandate to change the course of state politics.

Rajagopal Reddy hoped that his brother and Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy would also take an appropriate decision in future.

Stating that a wrong man has been appointed as Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president, Rajagopal Reddy remarked that those who have self-respect will not stay in the party.

He once again challenged TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy to prove the allegations made against him

Rajagopal Reddy had Tuesday announced his decision to resign both from the party and the Assembly.

He had said that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah can put an end to anarchic rule of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

He claimed that his decision was for the sake of Munugode and its people as the TRS leaders have been saying that the constituency will see development only in the event of a by-election.