Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president and Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy on Thursday extended an open invitation to senior leaders, who had defected from the Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the past, to return to the Congress fold.
Speaking to reporters, Revanth Reddy said leaders like G Vivek, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy had quit the Congress in a fit of emotion. So was the case with former minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader Eatala Rajender.
“They have no faith in the BJP’s ideology but defected to that party due to political compulsions. They might have thought they would have better future if they joined the BJP,” he said.
The PCC chief said those who wanted realignment of forces against chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should come back to the Congress.
“They might have some issues with me. If they think they will have a problem with me, I am ready to come down not just one step, but 10 steps, to welcome them,” he said.
Revanth made it clear that nobody could have any problem with him, as he was not the Congress boss.
“Only Sonia Gandhi and Mallikharjun Kharge are the real bosses of the party,” he said.
While there was no response from other leaders, Rajagopal Reddy spurned the offer of Revanth Reddy.
He denied the reports that appeared in a section of reports that he was contemplating quitting the BJP and returning to the Congress.
“Revanth Reddy made big money through blackmailing by obtaining documents through Right to Information Act. How can I work under him?” he asked.
He, however, admitted that some friends, after the Karnataka elections, had advised him to return to the Congress.
“But I won’t do that. Just because the Congress won in Karnataka, there is no guarantee that it will win in Telangana as well,” he said.
Rajagopal also refuted the reports that quoted him as saying that the BJP would not come to power at the Centre.
“This is completely fictitious. I never made such a statement anywhere. They are fabrications to malign my image,” he said.
