In a boost for the Congress in Telangana, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Mayor Vijaya Laxmi R Gadwal has joined the party. She joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, AICC in-charge of party affairs in Telangana Deepa Dasmunsi, and other leaders. Vijaya Laxmi’s decision to join Congress is expected to help the party in the GHMC limits in the Lok Sabha polls. In the recent Assembly polls, the Congress did not win any of the 24 seats that fall under the limits of GHMC, though it won a majority. Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy and other Congress leaders met Vijaya Laxmi’s father and BRS Rajya Sabha member K Keshav Rao at the latter’s residence on Saturday night.
Keshav Rao, who had served as PCC president earlier, had met Revanth Reddy, who is also PCC president, on Friday. The 85-year-old leader had worked in the grand old party for 55 years, and he said he would do ‘ghar vapsi’ (returning to home). He said he was returning to the Congress fold due to his affinity for the national party.
Also, Former BRS MLC Puranam Satish joined the Congress on Saturday. The BRS has seen an exodus of senior leaders in recent times. While BRS MLA Danam Nagender and party MP G Ranjit Reddy switched to Congress, two sitting BRS MPs BB Patil and P Ramulu joined the BJP. Congress has also invited senior BRS MLA and former deputy chief minister Kadiam Srihari and his daughter Kadiam Kavya to join the party. Srihari said he would take a decision in a day or two.
