Former minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA Chemakura Malla Reddy appears to have felt the bulldozer effect of the Congress government led by chief minister A Revanth Reddy.
Within hours of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) began the demolition of two permanent buildings and six temporary sheds belonging to Malla Reddy College with bulldozers, the BRS MLA quickly came to terms with the Congress party.
He, along with his son-in-law Marri Rajashekar Reddy, who is running the colleges now, met chief minister's advisor (public affairs) Vem Narendar Reddy on Thursday and spent over two hours, leading to the speculations that they might jump the fence into the Congress.
Interestingly, it is Narender Reddy, who is dealing with the leaders who want to jump into the Congress. All those defectors, who want to meet Revanth, are being routed through Narender Reddy.
The BRS leaders, however, tried to give the impression that the MLA met Narender Reddy only to discuss the issue of demolition of buildings, located in the buffer zone of Damaracheruvu in Dundigal, which were identified as encroachments that came up over 8.24 acres of the lake.
However, the Congress sources said Malla Reddy has made up his mind to join the Congress sooner or later. His son-in-law, who is being tipped for the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat by the BRS, has also realised that it is difficult to win the seat if he continues in the BRS. Hence, he, too, wants to join the Congress, sources said.
In fact, Malla Reddy has good relations with Revanth Reddy. Both were good friends when they were in the Telugu Desam Party. While Revanth defected to the Congress, Malla Reddy shifted loyalties to the BRS to protect his business interests.
“Even now, Malla Reddy’s main interest is to protect his business activities. Hence, he prefers the Congress,” sources said.
