Yet another BRS MLA defects to grand old party

HYDERABAD: Another BRS MLA defected to the ruling Congress on Friday, increasing the grand old party’s strength in the 119-strong Assembly to 71. Kale Yadaiah, legislator from the SC-reserved constituency of Chevella, joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in Delhi.

A total of six BRS MLAs have so far defected to the Congress. Earlier, Tellam Venkata Rao (Bhadrachalam, ST), Danam Nagender (Khairatabad), Kadiyam Srihari (Station Ghanpur, SC), Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Banswada) and M Sanjay Kumar (Jagtial) joined the Congress.

Interestingly, the Congress went ahead with the induction of Yadaiah even though it faced some objections from veteran leader and MLC T Jeevan Reddy when the party welcomed Jagtial MLA M Sanjay Kumar into its fold. While the Congress’ strength in the Assembly increased from 65 to 71, the BRS’ numbers have dropped from 39 to 32.

Even as the Congress is clandestinely conducted its Operation Akarsh, BRS MLAs are not even resigning from the pink party before shifting their loyalties. A majority of the six BRS MLAs who have shifted to Congress have not formally resigned from the pink party yet.