Telangana Congress MLA’s Strength Rises To 70

The Congress’ strength in the Legislative Assembly has increased to 70 with the addition of five BRS MLAs, and another 15, primarily from Greater Hyderabad, are expected to join before the monsoon session in July. This has reduced the main opposition BRS’s seats from 39 to 33. The Congress aims to either merge the BRS Legislative Party (BRSLP) with its own or have the defected MLAs recognized as a separate group, similar to the Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde model in Maharashtra. To avoid disqualification, a two-thirds defection of the BRS MLAs is required, meaning 25 of the current 38 BRS MLAs must defect.

Currently, five BRS MLAs have joined the Congress, and to merge the BRSLP with the CLP, support from 20 more MLAs is needed. Reports suggest that 15 MLAs are already in contact with the Congress, with negotiations ongoing with an additional five MLAs. The Congress anticipates that all 20 will join by the second week of July, solidifying its position and potentially leading to a significant shift in the Assembly’s balance of power.