Thirty-five BRS leaders, including former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and ex-minister Jupally Krishna Rao, on Monday joined the Congress, with the party describing the development as "winds of change sweeping" Telangana ahead of elections later this year.
The leaders formally joined the Congress after a meeting with AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, and Telangana Congress chief A Revanth Reddy. The leaders would be addressing a public rally in Khammam soon.
Among the new entrants, Reddy is a former MP from Khammam while Rao, a five-term MLA, is a former minister in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Other leaders who joined the Congress also included six-time former MLA Gurnath Reddy, former MLA and Zila Parishad Chairman Koram Kanakaiah, former MLA Payam Venkateshwarlu, District Cooperative Central Bank (DCCB) ex-chairman M Vijaya Baby, sitting DCCB Chairman Thulluri Bramhaiah, ex-Chairman of SC Corporation Pidamarthi Ravi, Markfed state Vice Chairperson Borra Rajshekhar and Municipal Chairperson, Warya and Mandal Praja Parishad Chairman S Jaipal.
Rahul wrote on Facebook later, "a united Congress is unstoppable. An era of people-centric politics will sweep through Telangana soon, like it did in Karnataka!"
Congress tweeted, "winds of change are sweeping through Telangana. In a big boost to the Congress party's prospects, more and more people are aligning with us to take the message of love and prosperity forward."
Congress Media Department chairperson Pawan Khera told a press conference that the "winds of change" started with the Bharat Jodo Yatra and its effect was witnessed in Karnataka.
"Many important leaders of Telangana joined our party today. Together we will tell the people of Telangana how BJP and BRS are cheating them. I thank all these senior leaders from the bottom of my heart," Telangana Congress chief A Revanth Reddy said. He said Rahul would attend a meeting in Khamman on July 2.