BRS MLA Prakash Goud likely to join Congress today

BRS MLAs continue to join Congress in Telangana, with Prakash Goud expected to join along with Municipal Councillors.

The flow of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLAs into Congress will continue with Rajendranagar MLA Prakash Goud expected to join the ruling party in Telangana this evening in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

He will join along with a few Municipal Councillors and Chairman. Mr. Goud, a former colleague of Mr. Reddy in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), met him last month and announced his desire to join the Congress. However, he refrained from taking the step for various reasons including pressure from the party cadre.

Interestingly, Mr. Goud was part of the city MLAs delegation that met BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao recently to extend his support to him amid rumours that several city MLAs were also jumping ship. However, within a week, he seems to have changed his mind and will join the Congress today.

Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi too is planning to shift to the Congress in a day or two soon. Some more MLAs are expected to join along with him but none have confirmed so far. Mr. Gandhi too was in the TDP along with Mr. Reddy. Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Goud were elected on the TDP ticket in 2014 and defected to the ruling BRS party a few months later.

Sources said the Chief Minister is keen on finishing the episode of joinnings before the Assembly sessions on July 24 and announce the merger of the BRS Legislature Party (BRSLP) into Congress. For the merger, 26 out of 38 BRS MLAs need to form a different group and express their willingness to merge with any other party.

The BRS won 39 seats in the 2023 Assembly elections but the number was reduced to 38 after Cantonment MLA Lasya Nandita passed away in a road accident. Congress won the by-poll in the Assembly taking its number to 65. It already has the support of the lone CPI MLA from Kothagudem, Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, who won in alliance with the Congress.

Khairatabad MLA, Danam Nagender, who joined the Congress from the BRS and also contested from the Secunderabad Parliament seat on behalf of the Congress, claimed that the BRS would be empty soon and only four MLAs would remain in the party.