Senior women leaders Tula Uma, Palvai Sravanthi join BRS

Senior Congress leader Palvai Sravanthi, BJP leader Tula Uma and several others joined the BRS on Sunday and Monday

Hyderabad: The ruling BRS continues to witness an influx of senior leaders from the Congress and the BJP, especially women, sending shockwaves in the opposition camps ahead of the November 30 election in Telangana. Senior Congress leader Palvai Sravanthi, BJP leader Tula Uma and several others joined the BRS on Sunday and Monday.

Uma, who joined the BJP along with Etala Rajender in June 2021, returned to the BRS after over two years. BRS working president KT Rama Rao welcomed her back into the party at Telangana Bhavan on Monday. Uma was the former Zilla Parishad chairperson of erstwhile Karimnagar district and also served as the TRS (now BRS) women’s wing president, before leaving the party along with Rajender.

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Speaking on the occasion, Rama Rao said it was unfortunate that Uma, who belongs to the BC community, was denied an opportunity to contest the Assembly election. The BJP, after announcing her candidature for Vemulawada, later gave the B-Form to another candidate.

“On the instructions of BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, I called Uma over phone and invited her to join the BRS. I appreciate her positive response. The party will respect her with better positions and responsibilities than the opportunities she was given in the past,” he said.

Uma said only people from upper caste would get better opportunities in the BJP which failed to stand by its word.

Earlier on Sunday, the BRS working president welcomed Palvai Sravanthi into the party at Telangana Bhavan here. “It is a great sign to welcome Sravanthi as a brother into the BRS party on Diwali,” he said. The Congress had failed to recognise the services of Palvai Govardhan Reddy’s family, which stood by the party for almost six decades and gave their sweat and blood to the party, he said.

Rama Rao also demanded to know why Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy joined the BJP from the Congress and again returned to the Congress after a defeat in the Munugode by-elections.

“The people of Munugode faced a by-election because of Rajgopal Reddy’s decision. When no one came forward to contest in the by-elections in Munugode, Sravanthi contested on behalf of the Congress and secured decent votes for the party,” he said, adding that the BRS would utilise her services and give her due recognition.