Rebel BRS MLA Mynampalli Hanumantha Rao announces decision to join Congress

Hyderabad, Sept 25 (IANS) Rebel BRS MLA Mynampalli Hanumantha Rao on Monday announced his decision to join the Congress, saying that he will reach New Delhi and "complete the formality in the presence of central leaders".

Addressing reporters at his residence here after meeting a top Congress delegation, which included former Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha, the rebel MLA said he will join the party before Wednesday.

“The leaders from the Congress party called me in the morning for inviting me to join the party. I gladly welcomed them,” he maintained.

However, sources claimed that no promise was made by the delegation regarding the issuing of a ticket to Hanumantha Rao's son to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Telangana.

Hanumantha Rao had recently sent his resignation letter to the Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, alleging that there that was no democracy or transparency in the BRS' functioning.

He also said that a unilateral decision was taken to rename the party from Telangana Rashtra Samithi to Bharat Rashtra Samithi.

Hanumantha Rao also charged that the BRS had turned into a puppet in the hands of few power-hungry individuals.

The sources stated that he quit the BRS after the top leadership refused to issue a ticket to his son for the polls.