Thummala Nageswara Rao Joins Congress

The ruling BRS today got a big shock with its leader and former minister Thummala Nageswara Rao joining the Congress in the city.

He joined the GOP in the presence of AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who welcomed him into the party with a party scarf.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, AICC leader K C Venugopal, TPCC chief Revanth Reddy, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and several other leaders participated in the program, and congratulated Thummala on the occasion.

Thummala's followers and key leaders of the combined Khammam district are also likely to join the Congress in the next few days.

With Thummala joining the Congress, the political equations in the combined Khammam district have changed dramatically, with the party's strength in the district likely to increase manifold given that Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy already joined the party a few weeks back.

Ponguleti has already applied for the Paleru ticket represented by Thummala in the past, and the Congress high command will try to strike a rapprochement between the two in the matter. According to party sources, there is a possibility of Thummala being given the Khammam Assembly constituency ticket.

Thummala has a good grip on the politics of the district. He also has a strong cadre, and in his three-and-a-half-decade-long political career, became a minister in the TDP and the BRS governments, and made his mark on the district mainly through development works. The Congress high command is expecting more Assembly seats with his influence in the district. Thummala is also likely to influence the votes of the Kamma community in the State in the upcoming elections. According to political analysts, the BRS is likely to get weakened in the district with the desertion of Thummala.