Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy to join Congress shortly?

In fact, on Monday Rajgopal Reddy himself reportedly told a few local media persons that he would not be contesting the assembly polls from the BJP.

Hyderabad: With the name of former MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy not featuring in the first list of the BJP, talk on the possibility of him quitting the party and joining the Congress is gaining momentum.

In fact, on Monday Rajgopal Reddy himself reportedly told a few local media persons that he would not be contesting the assembly polls from the BJP. He is said to have told them that the Congress leadership had offered him a ticket to contest from the Munugode assembly constituency.

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“There is a lot of pressure from people and my supporters to rejoin the Congress,” he said, adding that however, he was yet to take a final decision.

Rajgopal Reddy had quit the Congress to join the BJP in August last year when he was the Munugode MLA, thus forcing a by-poll which saw the Bharat Rashtra Samithi registering a comfortable win.

With the name of the Munugode candidate not featuring in the Congress first list, speculation is rife that it has been reserved for Rajgopal Reddy and that he would be joining the party anytime. There is also discussion going on in BJP circles that Rajgopal Reddy may join the Congress before union Home Minister Amit Shah’s public meeting to be held in Suryapet on October 27. It is learnt that State BJP president G Kishan Reddy was trying to convince him not to leave the party.

Rajgopal Reddy, who is the brother of Bhongir Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, was not happy with the BJP leadership and was one of the leaders who demanded the central leadership remove Bandi Sanjay as the party’s State president. Ever since Rajgopal Reddy lost the Munugode by-poll, there were reports that he would return to the Congress.

Meanwhile, former MP and BJP manifesto committee chairman G Venkatswamy is also reportedly unhappy with the first list of the BJP, especially on the tickets allotted in constituencies falling under the Peddapalli Lok Sabha constituency. It is learnt that a large number of candidates were selected without consulting Venkatswamy. The former MP, who is currently in Singapore, has expressed displeasure over the selection of candidates and is said to be even planning to leave the party in protest.

BJP Nirmal district president P Ramadevi has already resigned from her post and the party as she was denied the Mudhole assembly ticket. She is also planning to join the Congress.