Congress continues its mind game to weaken BRS as leaders meet Telangana CM Revanth for ‘constituency development’

Congress in Telangana raises doubts over the strength of BRS as senior leaders meet opposition leaders, potentially weakening the party.

Congress in Telangana continues to create doubts over the strength of the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) ahead of the Parliament elections attracting the opposition leaders. The latest addition to the list is the BRS MLC and former Minister Patnam Mahender Reddy.

He met Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at his residence in Hyderabad sparking off rumours of leaving the BRS party. His wife and Vikarabad District Zilla Parishad Chairperson Sunita Mahender Reddy was also present in the meeting further clearing doubts over their exit from the BRS. Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha and Advisor to Government Vem Narender Reddy too were present.

The Mahender family is apparently seeking the Chevella Lok Sabha seat and the Congress would also be keen as it doesn’t have a strong candidate to take on BJP’s likely candidate Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and BRS’s sitting MP G. Ranjit Reddy. Chevella constituency is being handled by CM Revanth Reddy after party seniors distributed the work among themselves.

What perturbs the BRS is that leaving of such senior leaders may trigger an exodus from the party in Rangareddy district where Mr. Mahender Reddy is considered a political heavyweight having worked as a Minister in the Telugu Desam government and also the BRS government.

Once hailed as the leader with an iron grip over the combined Ranga Reddy district, he ensured that only his family controlled the political and administrative aspects of any government. His wife Sunita was the ZP Chairperson of Ranga Reddy district even during the Telugu Desam government.

His brother Patnam Narender Reddy was an MLA from Kodangal in 2018 and was the man of the moment having defeated the present Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who was also the sitting MLA at that time and Kodangal was considered his fiefdom. However, Mr. Revanth Reddy took revenge by defeating him in 2023 elections with a huge margin.

Mr. Mahender Reddy as the BRS (then TRS) candidate was however defeated from Tandur in 2018 at the hands of a first-timer and youngster Pilot Rohit Reddy of the Congress. Mr. Rohit Reddy later defected to the BRS leading to rivalry within the party over the control of the constituency.