Telangana Congress MP predicts hung Assembly

Hyderabad, Feb 14: Telangana Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Tuesday predicted that the state will get a hung Assembly in the elections to be held towards the end of 2023.

Venkat Reddy, who is also the star campaigner of the party, told reporters that no party will get more than 60 seats in the 119-member Assembly.

He believes that the Congress party will win 40-50 seats. "The Congress party may not get the majority, unless there is a miracle," he said.

The member of Lok Sabha from Bhuvanagiri said Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) will have to join hands with the Congress to form the government. "Since BRS and Congress are secular parties, they will have to work together," he said.

Venkat Reddy also ruled out a pre-poll alliance between BRS and Congress, saying such an alliance will be to the advantage of BJP.

His brother Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy had quit Congress party to join BJP last year. He, however, lost the by-election to Munugode Assembly seat which was necessitatedAby his resignation.

The MP, who remains critical of state Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy, had sparked a row by not campaigning for Congress candidate in the by-election.

The Congress leadership had issued him a show cause notice after a voice recording went viral on social media in which Venkat Reddy is heard asking a Congress leader to support his brother.

A video clip had also gone viral in which Venkat Reddy is heard predicting that Congress will lose the by-election to Munugode Assembly seat. Venkat Reddy, however, termed the audio and video clips as fake.

The MP had also stayed away from Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra when it passed through Telangana.

He had also embarrassed the party by meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December last year. He claimed that he did not discuss politics but made certain remarks which kept everyone guessing about his next move.