Yet another MLA of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi is going to join the ruling Congress party in Telangana.
Prakash Goud, the legislator from Rajendranagar constituency in Greater Hyderabad, announced his decision to join the Congress on Friday after offering prayers at the famous Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh.
With this, he will be the eighth MLA of BRS to switch allegiance since Congress came to power in the state in December 2023.
Goud was earlier joined by fellow BRS MLA Arekapudi Gandhi in meeting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu when the latter visited Hyderabad. Their move came as Mr. Naidu, working fast on reviving the TDP in Telangana, ignited speculations of possible defections, which both MLAs were quick to deny.
On Friday, Goud hailed Naidu as his political mentor and went on to add that he was pleased that his political mentor was once again assuming the mantle of Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
Before the Lok Sabha elections, Goud had met Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy when there was a buzz that he might jump into the Congress fold but did not take a decision due to many reasons.
He was elected in 2009 from Rajendranagar on a TDP ticket, was reelected in the constituency in 2014 and subsequently joined the TRS, now BRS. Goud won a fourth straight term in November 2023 Assembly elections on a BRS ticket.
Its strength in the 119-member Assembly will further slide to 30 with the exit of Goud to Congress. The BRS lost the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly by-poll to Congress and its tally reached 73. In the last seven months, six MLCs of BRS and several senior leaders also joined Congress.
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