Yadadri Bhuvanagiri District Congress Committee president Kumbham Anil Kumar Reddy joined the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) in the presence of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday. Mr. Anil contested as Congress candidate from Bhongir constituency in 2014 and 2018 and lost to Pailla Shekhar Reddy of the BRS.
Earlier in the morning, he held a meeting with his followers and criticised Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, accusing him of disturbing the constituency. He told his followers that it was impossible to politically survive in Bhongir with Mr.Venkata Reddy interfering with an intention to dilute his chances. Later, he went to Pragati Bhavan along with Power Minister G. Jagadish Reddy and joined the BRS.
Sources said Mr. Anil Kumar Reddy had been assured the Bhongir MP ticket from the BRS if he joined the party. The BRS apparently tried to encourage his defection to the BRS to time with Rahul Gandhi’s meeting in Khammam where suspended BRS leader Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy joined Congress.