Days after defection in Telangana, 2 BRS MPs land BJP tickets as ‘exodus’ buzz grows

Four months after losing power to the Congress, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana is facing discontent within its ranks. Over the last week, two sitting BRS MPs joined the BJP allegedly because of uncertainty over getting a ticket again. They have now been accommodated in the BJP’s first list of 195 candidates announced Saturday.

While Nagarkurnool MP Pothuganti Ramulu joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and the BJP’s Telangana in-charge Tarun Chugh on Thursday, along with his son Bharat Prasad, Zahirabad MP B B Patil joined the BJP Friday.

Patil has been fielded by the BJP from Zaheerabad, while Prasad has got the Nagarkurnool ticket.

Former BRS MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy’s name also figures among its nine candidates from Telangana in the BJP’s first list of nominees for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

In all, the BRS has lost three of its nine sitting Lok Sabha MPs so far, with MP Venkatesh Netha Borlakunta, who represents the Peddapalli constituency, joining the Congress on February 6.

The latest exits from the BRS came days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Adilabad and Sangareddy in the state on March 4 and 5 and have fuelled speculations on whether there may be more defections to the BJP.

BJP chief spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao said some leaders in the BRS “lacked confidence on contesting on the party’s ticket for the coming polls” and might be looking at shifting to the BJP soon.

A senior BJP leader said that more BRS MPs are “expected to reach out” to the BJP after the PM’s visit.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Ramulu said his decision was guided by the voters’ sentiments ahead of the parliamentary elections.

“In the Lok Sabha elections, people would want to vote