Ex-minister Tummala quits BRS, joins Congress

Hyderabad, Sep 16: Former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Saturday resigned from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and joined the Congress party.

He formally joined the Congress party just before the Congress Working Committee (CWC) began its meeting in Hyderabad.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge welcomed him into the party. 

State Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy, AICC in-charge for Telangana, Manikrao Thakrey and other leaders were present.

The former minister was miffed with BRS after he was denied ticket from Palair constituency for the coming Assembly elections.

The BRS has given ticket to Kandla Upender Reddy, who was elected on Congress ticket in 2018 but later defected to the BRS.

Nageswara Rao, who has been with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) since its inception in early 1980s, had served as a minister in the undivided Andhra Pradesh in the cabinets of N.T. Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu and later became the minister in Telangana's first government.

A five-time MLA and senior leader from Khammam district, he joined Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS) in 2014 after the formation of Telangana state. 

He was minister for roads and buildings in the first TRS government headed by KCR.

Nageswara Rao was elected on TRS ticket from Palair in 2016 by-election. However, in 2018, he lost to Upender Reddy.

Meanwhile, Jitta Balakrishna Reddy and Yennam Srinivasa Reddy, who were suspended from BJP recently for anti-party activities, also joined the Congress party. 

Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy admitted them into the party.