Revanth meets sulking Tummala, invites him into Congress

Congress invites ex-TDP Minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao to join party. He had been denied ticket by BRS in Palair constituency. Meeting led to speculation that he may join Congress, which may ask him to contest in Khammam constituency. Senior leaders present at meeting.

In a move that would realign politics in Khammam district, Telangana Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy met former Minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao at his residence in Hyderabad and invited him to join the Congress.

Mr. Rao, once the number two in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government in the combined Andhra Pradesh, is sulking ever since the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) denied ticket to him from the Palair constituency. Kandala Upender Reddy, who was elected from the Congress in 2018 and defected to the BRS, is once again nominated by the ruling party.

Feeling ignored and insulted, Mr. Rao displayed his strength with a huge car rally in Khammam town with thousands of his followers but so far has refrained from criticising Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with whom he shares a long relationship from their TDP days.

His followers have intensified their efforts to force him to leave the BRS that ‘insulted’ him and Mr. Rao too indicated that he would be in the electoral fray.

Mr. Revanth Reddy’s meeting led to speculation that Mr. Rao has decided to join the Congress though he did not specifically mention it. He may take a few more days to inform about his decision. If Mr. Rao joins the Congress it would further complicate the Palair ticket issue with Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy already applying for it. Y.S. Sharmila too is eyeing the same constituency.

Congress, however, may ask Mr. Rao to contest in Khammam constituency as his following is spread across the erstwhile district. Senior leaders P. Sudershan Reddy, Mallu Ravi and Rohin Reddy were present at the meeting.