In a significant blow to the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana, Chevella MP Gaddam Ranjith Reddy and Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender announced their resignation from the party on Sunday, March 17 and joined the ruling Congress. With this, four members of the BRS have quit the party in the past two days.
A day earlier, Warangal MP Pasunoori Dayakar also quit the BRS and joined the Congress while Aroori Ramesh, a former MLA from the Wardhannapet constituency (reserved for Scheduled Caste), also resigned from the BRS and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a statement, MP Ranjith Reddy said that he decided to quit due to “evolving political circumstances”. “I would like to convey my gratitude to the BRS party for the meaningful opportunity provided & the cooperation extended in my service to the people of Chevella constituency. Due to evolving political circumstances, I have made this difficult decision to submit my resignation (sic),” the MP stated.
MLA Danam Nagender had contested in 2014 for the Congress and lost to the BRS. Later he joined the BRS and was elected as an MLA twice, in 2018 and 2023.
Pasunoori Dayakar was elected twice as Warangal MP – in 2015 and 2019 – from the BRS party.
Aroori Ramesh was also elected twice as an MLA in 2014 and 2018 from Wardhannapet. In 2023, he lost to Congress candidate KR Raju.
Polling for the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana will take place on May 13. In the previous 2019 general election, the BRS (formerly Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS) won 9 seats, the BJP won four, and Congress 3, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi retained the party’s sole seat from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency.