Former Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy fourth BRS MLA to switch to Congress

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy met with Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy who joined Congress party on June 21, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Handle @INCTelangana on X

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy along with his cabinet colleague Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy called on Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA from Banswada, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, at his residence on Friday and invited him to join the party.

The MLA Srinivas Reddy later informed the media that he had accepted the invitation to join the Congress. He said he watched the developments keenly after Mr. Revanth Reddy took over as the Chief Minister and hailed the pro-farmer policies. “As I come from the farmers’ family and realising the Government’s commitment, I decided to join the Congress,” he said.

Mr. Srinivas Reddy, who was the Speaker from 2018 to 2023 in the BRS government and also the Agriculture Minister from 2014 to 2018, justified his decision to join the Congress stating that there were several reasons. He said he had joined the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS, now BRS) from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for various reasons. He reminded that he had started his political career as a Congressman and was returning to it.

Political career

Mr. Srinivas Reddy, one of the senior politicians of Telangana, started his political career with the Congress in 1976 and later joined the TDP in 1984. He served as a Cabinet Minister in the Chandrababu Naidu government in the combined Andhra Pradesh managing the portfolios of Mines and Geology and later Panchayat Raj.

File photo of Pocharam Srinivas Reddy when he wa sin Telugu Desam Party.
| Photo Credit:
RAMANA KV

He joined the TRS in 2011 at the peak of the Telangana movement resigning as a TDP MLA. He won from the Banswada Constituency 1994, 1999, 2009, 2014, 2018 and 2023.

File photo of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS, then TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao welcoming the Banswada MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) into the TRS at a public meeting in Banswada.
| Photo Credit:
K.V. Ramana

Fourth BRS MLA to join Congress

He is the fourth BRS MLA to have joined the Congress after Danam Nagender,Tellam Venkat Rao and Kadiyam Srihari.

Kadiyam Srihari, along with his daughter Kavya, joins the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and AICC incharge Deepadas Munsi and DCC president C. Rohin Reddy. File
| Photo Credit:
By Arrangement

Meanwhile, Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender, who shifted his loyalties from BRS to Congress before the Parliament elections, said that about 20 BRS MLAs would soon join the Congress. He claimed that the BRS will become vacant in Greater Hyderabad with all the BRS MLAs set to join the Congress soon.

Revanth welcomes Pocharam Srinivas Reddy

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said that Mr. Srinivas Reddy was invited into the Congress as a part of the reconstruction of Telangana, which he said was destroyed by the BRS in the last 10 years. Mr. Srinivas Reddy joined the party impressed by the pro-farmer policies of the Telangana government. The CM also said that due respect and position will be given to him taking his seniority into consideration. Speculations are rife that Mr. Srinivas Reddy may be inducted into the Cabinet.