Revanth invites old-timers back into party

Telangana Congress chief wants old timers who have left the party to come back, and he was willing to take a step down to accommodate them

Telangana Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy invited old-timers back into the party and said he was willing to take a step down to accommodate them in the interest of the party.

“Congress is like a mother and those who have left their mother in a fit of anger or for some perceived differences with other leaders can always come back. The party is ready to accept them and they can all work under Sonia Gandhi or AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge if they are uncomfortable with me or others,” he said speaking to reporters here on Thursday.

In reply to a question whether former MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy would be accepted into the party, he said anyone was welcome if they were willing to come back to their mother. “I am willing to take a step down in the interest of the party,” he said. Earlier, there were reports that Mr. Rajgopal Reddy had sent feelers that he would come back to Congress if Mr. Revanth Reddy apologised to him for making wild allegations.

The invitation, he said, was also open to all anti-KCR forces in the State and it was time they all joined hands with the Congress to send out KCR as Telangana was fed up with the Chief Minister and his rule. He mentioned the names of former MPs Vivek Venkataswamy and Konda Vishweshwer Reddy, and BJP MLA Eatala Rajender and said they had nothing to do with BJP ideology and were not comfortable there. “They have joined the party in some extremely unavoidable circumstances.”.

Mr. Reddy also indicated that the party would be happy to invite leaders like former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and former Minister Jupally Krishna Rao into Congress as the intention was to defeat KCR.

The Congress chief claimed that Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao looked extremely unhappy with Mr. Modi’s defeat in Karnataka and the displeasure was made clear in the meeting with his Ministers, MLAs and other elected representatives. “KCR did not express happiness at BJP’s defeat in Karnataka and instead he chose to criticise the Congress when the entire country welcomed its stupendous performance. His language and narrative is similar to BJP state chief Bandi Sanjay’s narrative.”

Mr. Reddy urged people to realise that Modi and KCR were in the same boat and the Telangana CM tried to help the BJP in Karnataka by supporting the Janata Dal (S). His hope was to see a hung Assembly emerging and an opportunity to bring JD(S) and the BJP together but people of Karnataka gave a resounding victory to Congress.