Senior Congress leader and former minister Marri Shashidhar Reddy is likely to leave the Grand Old Party and join the BJP.
The reports of his possible defection from the Congress acquired increased credibility as he left for Delhi along with a couple of BJP leaders.
The national vice-president of the BJP D K Aruna reportedly accompanied Reddy.
Marri has been a vocal critic of TPCC president A Revanth Reddy ever since the latter was made the State party president by the high command.
He has been openly criticising Revanth Reddy on several issues in public forums, and has alleged that Revanth Reddy was solely responsible for the weakening of the party in Telangana, taking several decisions that had damaged the party a lot in Telangana.
He also targeted the State incharge of the party Manickam Tagore and alleged that Tagore was acting as the agent of Revanth Reddy in the State.
Shashidhar Reddy's defection will give a boost to the BJP, which is welcoming powerful leaders of other parties into its fold to strengthen itself in Telangana. The saffron party has a dedicated political joining committee with party MLA and former minister Eatala Rajender as its chairman.
Meanwhile, Shashidhar Reddy responded to the news reports of his defection saying that he was not resigning from the Congress.
He said that he had gone to Delhi merely to attend a function in the school of his grandson.
He also said that he was not quitting politics.
filed in:Telangana, Marri Shashidhar Reddy, Telangana Congress, BJP, Party Defections