The BRS is poised to face a setback in the former Khammam district as its sole MLA, Tellam Venkat Rao of Bhadrachalam, has decided to switch allegiance to the Congress party.
This marks the only seat won by the BRS in the previous Assembly elections out of the ten seats in the former Khammam district.
Venkat Rao participated in the Congress party’s meeting for the Mahaboobad parliamentary constituency on Saturday.
He has had a close association with Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. Notably, Rao had previously joined the Congress along with Srinivas Reddy in the presence of Rahul Gandhi at a meeting in Khammam.
However, he later joined the BRS when he was denied a Congress ticket from Bhadrachalam.
At that time, the sitting MLA was Podem Veeraiah of the Congress, who was subsequently given a nominated post by the party after losing the 2023 elections.
Local circles believe that Venkat Rao’s decision to join the Congress party will strengthen its prospects in the Mahabubabad and Khammam Lok Sabha seats.
