Gadwal turncoat MLA caught between BRS and Congress

With Speaker’s notices and Supreme Court directions looming, BRS turncoat MLA Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy faces pressure in Gadwal. As defections weaken the Congress, speculation over his possible return to the BRS has sharpened political fault lines ahead of local body polls.

Jogulamba Gadwal: With the Supreme Court’s directions and Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar issuing notices, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) turncoat MLAs find themselves in a fix.

In Gadwal, all eyes are on MLA Bandla Krishnamohan Reddy as the BRS holds a public meeting at the old bus stand on Saturday. Having defected to the Congress, he faces a test of loyalty. His participation in the BRS meeting could suggest “Ghar Wapsi”, while abstaining could expose his position yet again.

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The Congress suffered another jolt in the constituency after former Municipal Chairman BS Keshav quit the party to join the BRS. Adding to the blow, Krishnamohan Reddy’s cousin, Chandrashekhar Reddy, is also expected to follow suit.

Since crossing over, Krishnamohan Reddy has lost BRS support and failed to win the confidence of Congress workers. Senior Congress leaders, including former ZP Chairperson Saritha Tirupataiah, have opposed his entry and repeatedly complained to the State leadership, urging a rethink.

Despite being with the Congress, Krishnamohan Reddy has maintained ambiguity. During the Assembly sessions in July, he hinted at returning to the BRS after meeting working president KT Rama Rao and other senior leaders, but later stepped back and kept his distance.

Defending himself against defection charges, the MLA has claimed that his meetings with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy were only to discuss constituency “development” issues. He reportedly stressed the same in his reply to the Speaker’s notice over the BRS petition.

In this backdrop, the Congress appears to be losing ground in Gadwal, with internal rifts and shifting loyalties threatening its prospects in the upcoming local body elections.