BRS MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy joins Congress party

HYDERABAD: What started as speculation in the morning became a reality by noon. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who met BRS MLA and former Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy at his residence in Banjara Hills on Friday, confirmed after the meeting that Pocharam was joining the Congress party. Shortly after, visuals of CM Revanth Reddy offering the Congress khandwa to Srinivas Reddy and his son Bhaskar Reddy were released to the media.

Pocharam Srinivas Reddy is the fourth BRS MLA to join the Congress party. Three BRS MLAs - Tellam Venkat Rao, Danam Nagender, and Kadiam Srihari - have already joined Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, the Chief Minister said he met Srinivas Reddy as part of the Telangana reconstruction effort. "We requested him to stand up as an elder of Telangana. He is joining the Congress for the welfare of Telangana farmers. We will take his suggestions on the welfare of farmers and move ahead," he said.

He added that the Congress party would give Pocharam Srinivas Reddy proper respect and a suitable position in the future. "We will take his cooperation to complete the unfinished projects in Nizamabad district. This is a Rythu Rajyam (farmers' State) and a farmers' welfare State. We will include all those necessary for the welfare of farmers," he stated.

Meanwhile, CM Revanth Reddy also informed that the Telangana Cabinet would decide on the procedures for the crop loan waiver in its meeting today.