Will ex deputy CM leave BRS and join Congress?

Is BRS leader and former deputy chief minister of Telagnana Thatikonda Rajaiah planning to ditch the party? Peeved by the denial of ticket to him and angered by the party's decision to give the ticket to his arch-rival Kadiyam Srihari, Rajaiah is said to be planning to join the Congress Party. He was in the Congress till 2014 and was a minister in YS Rajasekhar Reddy government. He joined the BRS only in 2014.

Reports say that Rajaiah and several of his supporters have secretly met Congress leader Damodar Rajanarsimha in Hyderabad. Sources say that both have discussed the modalities for Rajaiah's rejoining the Congress Party. Damodar Rajanarsimha too is from the SC community like Rajaiah. For the past few days, Rajaiah has maintained an unusually low profile. He has not opened up about his future plans.

Rajaiah and Srihari are arch rivals. While Srihari represented the TDP in the past before switching over to the BRS, Rajaiah represented the Congress party. Ever since, both joined the BRS, they vied for the Station Ghanpur assembly constituency seat. Rajaiah managed to get the BRS ticket, and Kadiyam Srihari has been given an MLC seat. This time around, KCR has given the party ticket to Srihari in view of several allegations against Rajaiah.

However, the sailing may not be all that smooth for Rajaiah even in the Congress Party. Several Congress leaders are vying for the Station Ghanpur seat. However, Rajaiah might join the Congress only with the assurance of getting a party ticket to contest the upcoming elections.The TRS is watching Rajaiah's political moves with alarm.