Vivek Venkataswamy resigns from BJP, joins Congress ahead of Telangana elections

New Delhi [India], November 1 : In a big setback to the Bhartiya Janata party, Vivek Venkataswamy, former MP from the Peddapalli constituency, tendered his resignation and joined the Congress in the presence of AICC former president Rahul Gandhi.
In a letter to Telangana BJP state in-charge G Kishan Reddy, Vivek Venkatswamy, National Executive Board Member of BJP, conveyed his decision to step down from the party.
Speaking to reporters, the ex-BJP MP said that "The BRS is working for their family and not for the people. So there is a need for everyone to work unitedly and unseat CM KCR. Tickets are not important. Whatever the party decision is, I will work accordingly".
TPCC President Revanth Reddy told reporters that he wholeheartedly welcomed Vivek Venkataswamy to join the Congress party and he accepted it.
Vivek Venkataswamy's exit from the BJP comes less than a week after another senior leader Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy who lost the by-poll for the Munugode Assembly constituency last year, resigned from the BJP and joined the Congress. Reddy is now the Congress candidate for Munugode.
Earlier on Tuesday at a rally in Telangana Rahul Gandhi exhorted the party cadre to work toward bringing a Congress government in the state.
" I want to tell all Congress workers that you are Lions. You need not fear anyone. The people of Telangana and the Congress Party will together bring a Congress Government to power this time" he said.
The Telangana elections are scheduled for November 30 with counting of votes on December 3.

Telangana is set to witness an intriguing triangular contest between the BRS, Congress, and BJP. In the previous Assembly elections in 2018, the BRS won 88 of the 119 seats, hogging 47.4 percent of the total vote share. The Congress finished a distant second with 19 seats and a vote share of 28.7 percent.