Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA and former Telangana minister Chamakura Mallareddy has dismissed speculation that he is planning to switch parties and join the Congress; he clarified that he would continue to sail with the BRS.
For the past several days, political circles in Telangana have been abuzz with rumours suggesting that Mallareddy might leave the BRS and join the Congress, reportedly in view of securing the political future of his family.
It was also reported that members of the Mallareddy family had initiated discussions with the Congress leadership regarding a possible political shift.
However, Mallareddy himself has strongly denied these reports. Speaking informally with reporters on the opening day of the Telangana assembly session on Monday, he stated that the rumours about him joining the Congress were baseless.
The 73-year-old leader said he was fully capable of deciding his political future and dismissed the speculation as false propaganda. He also took a swipe at the Congress, asking rhetorically whether anyone would board a sinking ship.
Mallareddy described the Congress as a “sinking boat,” adding that even if the party had ruled the state for decades, it would still remain in that condition. He said it was clear to everyone which party currently has strong grassroots support.
Mallareddy also clarified that he had recently met chief minister A Revanth Reddy, but said the meeting was purely personal. According to him, he invited the chief minister to attend his wedding anniversary celebrations.
Interestingly, Preethi Reddy, the wife of Mallareddy’s younger son Bhadra Reddy, seems to have showing interest in joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, as was indicated by her recent comments.
Preethi Reddy, who manages the Mallareddy educational institutions, recently stated in an interview that Hyderabad should be renamed Bhagyanagar, a demand which is being raised by the BJP leaders.
She has also been increasingly active in the Medchal constituency in recent months and has publicly praised several policies of the Narendra Modi-led central government, including the National Education Policy, economic reforms, and initiatives for women’s empowerment.
Her earlier meeting with Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar had already attracted political attention. In addition, Preethi Reddy has openly expressed interest in entering politics and indicated that she is keen on contesting for a Lok Sabha seat, further fuelling speculation about the family’s political plans.
