Congress urges Telangana Governor not to induct BRS MLC into Cabinet

Mahender Reddy will he administered the oath of office today at 3.30 p.m.

BRS MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy. File

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president G. Niranjan has urged the Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan not to induct the BRS MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy into the Council of Ministers at the Cabinet expansion on August 24 evening.

In a letter to the Governor, Mr. Niranjan said Mr. Mahender Reddy, MLC who was aspirant of BRS Party ticket from Tandur Assembly constituency will be included in the State Cabinet and take oath of office today at Raj Bhavan at 3.30 p.m.

He maintained that the Chandrashekhar Rao-led BRS Government has become morally a caretaker government from the moment it announced 115 BRS candidates for 115 Assembly constituencies out of 119 for the upcoming Assembly elections.

“It is unethical to decide to induct Patnam Mahender Reddy into the State Cabinet today to woo him as he was not given a ticket as expected from Tandur. This is a pre-election baiting and against the spirit of democracy,” he reasoned.

He urged the Governor to reject the proposal for his appointment as Minister and not to administer the Oath of office with him, to protect the democracy and to conduct a free and fair elections with out making it a mockery.

The complaint from the Congress leader comes in wake of a bitter race for the Tandur Assembly ticket between Mr. Mahender Reddy and Mr. Rohit Reddy, who won on the Congress ticket in 2018 elections defeating the former but switched his loyalty. It was the top BRS leadership which brokered peace between the two warring leaders and induction of Mr. Mahender Reddy is seen as part of the understanding.

Mr. Mahender Reddy, who began his political career with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was elected from Tandur constituency for four consecutive terms from 1994 till 2018 when he lost the fifth election. He was fielded as the MLC candidate from the Local Authorities constituency after his brother then an MLC won the Assembly election from Kodangal constituency trouncing TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy.

Mr. Mahender Reddy had earlier served as TRS (now BRS) Minister in the first government post formation of Telangana from 2014 to 2018.