HYDERABAD: In a major setback to the Congress, a member of parliament and a state legislator decided to join the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, from the national opposition party. G Sukhender Reddy from Nalgonda, and member of the state assembly from Miryalguda, Bhaskar Rao, both from the Congress, announced their decision to join the TRS on June 15.
Also shifting loyalties, former lawmaker G Vivek and his brother, former Andhra Pradesh minister G Vinod also announced their switch to the TRS. The decision came a day after the leaders met Chief Minister and TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao. Sukhender addressed media saying they were joining the TRS to give back to the people of Telangana. He added the decision was made to help Chandrasekhar Rao in his efforts to develop the new state. Sukhender Reddy was one of the only two Congress leaders who managed to win Lok Sabha seats in 2014, despite the TRS being in full power.
The TRS, which won 11 seats, has now increased its tally to 13 with the YSR Congress party's lone MP from the state, P Sudhakar Reddy, switching loyalties last month. Bhaskar Rao is the ninth legislator from the Congress to defect to the TRS during the last two years. The latest setback came amid increasing internal differences in the main opposition party.
