Konda Surekha, Husband Konda Murali Join Congress

Former Warangal East MLA and firebrand leader Konda Surekha joined the Congress today in the presence of AICC chief Rahul Gandhi along with her husband Konda Murali in New Delhi.

Gandhi invited the couple to the party by offering them the party kanduva.

Congress party state leaders Ponnala Laxmaiah, Shabbir Ali, Renuka Chowdhary and others were present at the ceremony along with TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy.

The couple had earlier had a meeting with AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, and joined the Congress only after getting a clear assurance on the seats to be allocated to them.

Speaking to the media later, Surekha said that her husband's and her aim was to bring the Congress to power in Telangana by defeating the TRS, and that they had joined party unconditionally to achieve that goal. She said that she had told Gandhi that she would strive hard to ensure the victory of the Congress in five to six constituencies, and that she would meet him again only after bringing the Congress to power in Telangana.

She alleged that the TRS had taken up a vilification campaign against her to shield its own mistakes, and that the truth would come out very soon.

Murali alleged that TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao was giving priority only to leaders from his community, suppressing BC leaders. KCR had done nothing for the backward and weaker sections, and there was an autocratic rule going on in the state, he said. He claimed that his wife and he had joined the Congress as they believed that justice would to be done to Telangana only if the Congress came to power.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Congress would get strengthened by the entry of the Konda couple. He claimed that the couple had joined the party unconditionally, and that he didn't discuss with them the tickets to be allocated to them. He said that seats would be allocated to them only after discussions with the local leaders. He said that Surekha would tour the entire state along with campaign committee to campaign for the party.