In a significant setback for the BRS party in Telangana, nine MLAs have defected to the ruling Congress party. Speculations are rife that another MLA is also poised to join Congress soon. Patancheru MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy recently met Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, accompanied by minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, at the chief minister’s residence on Saturday evening.
Gudem Mahipal Reddy has been elected consecutively in the 2014, 2018, and 2023 elections under the BRS banner, defeating Congress candidate Kata Srinivas Goud each time, with a significant margin of over 7,000 votes in the last assembly elections. Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at Gudem Mahipal Reddy’s residence. His son, Vikram, today displayed Congress leaders on his WhatsApp status, having previously showcased photos of YS Rajasekhara Reddy and other Congress leaders back in 2008, featuring Rahul Gandhi, Damodar Rajanarasimha, and Jagga Reddy.