BRS leader Malla Reddy denies plans to join Congress

HYDERABD: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former Telangana minister Malla Reddy on Friday denied that he is contemplating quitting his party.

Malla Reddy met BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao to give his clarification after his meeting with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s advisor Vem Narender Reddy on Thursday sparked speculation that he and his son Bhadra Reddy will join the Congress.

Malla Reddy was accompanied by son Bhadra Reddy, who clarified that he has no intention to contest for the Lok Sabha from Malkajgiri.

Malla Reddy, the MLA from Medchal constituency, clarified that he met Vem Narender Reddy on the issue relating to the demolition of buildings of colleges owned by his son-in-law and MLA Marri Rajasekhar Reddy.

Last month, Malla Reddy had said that his son is ready to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections from Malkajgiri constituency. However, Bhadra Reddy has now conveyed to the party leadership that he has no plans to contest.

Authorities on Thursday demolished a few structures in the premises of two colleges run by Marri Rajasekhar Reddy on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Two permanent buildings and six temporary sheds in the Aeronautical College and the MLRITM College at Dundigal were demolished as they were allegedly built illegally on the land of a lake.

Rajasekhar Reddy was elected to the Assembly from Malkajgiri in the recent elections. After Congress came to power in December, there were speculations that Malla Reddy and his son-in-law may join the Congress. The former minister, however, had dismissed the speculations.

In the 2019 elections, Revanth Reddy was elected to Lok Sabha from Malkajgiri, defeating his nearest rival Rajasekhar Reddy of the BRS. Malla Reddy, who runs a chain of educational institutions and hospitals, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Malkajgiri in 2014 on a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ticket. He later joined the TRS (now BRS).