BRS suffers fresh setback, party MLA Krishna Mohan Reddy joins Congress

Hyderabad: In a fresh setback to opposition BRS in Telangana, the party's MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy joined the ruling Congress on Saturday.

This takes the total number of BRS MLAs who joined the Congress since the Assembly elections last year to seven.

Krishna Mohan Reddy, legislator from Gadwal, joined Congress in the presence of Chief Minister and PCC president A Revanth Reddy and other party leaders at the CM's residence at Jubilee Hills here.

Speculation is rife that more BRS MLAs would switch over the ruling party in the days to come.

The BRS had won 39 of the total 119 Assembly constituencies in the elections held last year, while Congress came to power winning 64 seats.

BRS MLA from Secunderabad Cantonment G Lasya Nanditha died in a road accident earlier this year. The Congress won the by-poll for Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly segment, which led to an increase in its strength to 65.

With the addition of the seven BRS MLAs who crossed over to Congress, its strength rose to 71.

On Thursday night, six BRS MLCs joined the ruling Congress.

With the fresh defections, Congress' strength goes up to 10 in the 40-member Legislative Council.