In a big jolt to the Congress party ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections in Telangana, leaders who played an active role during the Telangana statehood movement have quit the party. Jitta Balakrishna Reddy, Congress leader from Bhongir, and TPCC vice-president Dr. Cheruku Sudhakar resigned from the party today. Balakrishna Reddy joined the BRS Party in the presence of BRS working president KT Rama Rao.
Earlier, Balakrishna Reddy floated his party and also contested unsuccessfully from Bhongir in the past. He was in the BRS (earlier TRS) till 2009 and he was in the Congress party until recently. Balakrishna Reddy decided to switch his loyalties to support the leadership of CM KCR.
Dr. Cheruku Sudhakar was an activist during the Telangana movement and he too started his political outfit in the past and he joined the Congress in 2022. Irked by the high-handedness of Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, he decided to quit the party. In a strongly-worded letter to TPCC President Revanth Reddy, Sudhakar said the Congress is neglecting the activists and Backward Classes in the state. Disappointed with the recent political developments in the Congress party, he resigned from the party.
On one side, the top brass of the Congress including Rahul Gandhi is invoking Telangana sentiment by repeatedly stressing that Sonia Gandhi granted the Telangana statehood. The party leaders are also making it a point to use Telangana martyrs for their political campaigning. However, the reality seems different. Telangana activists in the Congress are deserting the party due to the insincere efforts of the party in accommodating and respecting the activists.