BRS MLA Tellam Venkatrao joins Congress

Hyderabad: In a surprising move for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the party faced another setback as its sole winning candidate from the Khammam segment, MLA Tellam Venkatrao, switched parties. On Sunday, Venkatrao bid farewell to BRS and was officially welcomed into the Congress party in the presence of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy draped Venkatrao in the Congress party's traditional shawl, symbolizing his inclusion. Along with Venkatrao, his associates also joined the Congress party, leaving the BRS representation empty across the MLA segments in Khammam district.

Rumors of Venkatrao's potential departure from BRS had been circulating for a few days, particularly as he had distanced himself from the party activities for some time. His unofficial participation in a key Congress meeting in Mahabubabad constituency, led by Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, had sparked widespread speculation. This meeting was seen as a confirmation of his imminent switch to Congress. Venkatrao also attended a public meeting organized by the Congress in Manuguru.