Former TDP leader A Revanth Reddy joins Congress

Hyderabad: TDP Telangana unit Working President A Revanth Reddy, who has quit the party, on Tuesday joined the Congress in presence of the party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

According to Telangana Congress, besides Revanth Reddy, 14 other TDP leaders, including ex-ministers, ex-MLAs and ex-MLCs, also joined the Congress.

AICC in-charge of party affairs in Telangana RC Khuntia, Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other party leaders were present on the occasion.

Welcoming Revanth Reddy and others into the Congress fold, Uttam Kumar Reddy hoped that their entry would strengthen the cause of realising the welfare of all sections in the youngest state. "During the last three-and-half-years, not only the expectations of the people, especially weaker sections, have been shattered, but unprecedented level of corruption has occurred in Telangana wherein, thousands of crores have been looted from the public exchequer," the release quoted Uttam Kumar Reddy as saying.

Khuntia said Rahul Gandhi welcomed Revanth Reddy and all other leaders into the Congress fold. Speaking on the occasion, Revanth Reddy said his decision to join Congress was not a regular switch-over from one party to the other. "Congress party gave Telangana and only this party can develop it. I joined the Congress to fulfil the real aspirations of Telangana's martyrs. Rahul Gandhi is bound to become the next Prime Minister of India and together we will turn the real dream of Telangana into a reality," he is quoted as saying in the release.

Asserting that he is not against the TDP, Revanth Reddy has said he quit the party to put up a spirited fight against the ruling TRS.