Settlers’ Favorite Arekapudi Gandhi Goes Into Congress

BRS is facing a decline in Telangana with a significant exodus of its MLAs. After 8 MLAs had already left the party, including Rajendranagar MLA Prakash Goud who joined Congress in the presence of CM Revanth Reddy yesterday, there is a new addition to the list.

Today, Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi also left BRS and joined Congress in the presence of CM Revanth. Gandhi was accompanied by several local corporators who were previously aligned with BRS.

This departure deals a significant blow to the BRS camp, as Gandhi is not just another MLA but a highly respected figure. He is a strong favorite within the settlers’ community in Serilingampally, winning the seat with a massive majority of over 46,000 votes despite a strong Congress wave in Telangana.

The majority of Andhra settlers in Serilingampally have shown loyalty to Arekapudi Gandhi, who belongs to the Kanna community. Besides caste considerations, Gandhi’s popularity among settlers greatly favored him, making his departure a substantial setback for BRS.

Originally affiliated with the Telugu Desam Party during its active phase in Telangana, Gandhi later joined BRS and secured the Serilingampally seat with a majority of over 44,000 votes in the 2018 assembly elections. While his exit deals a significant blow to BRS, it marks a notable gain for Congress.

Gandhi becomes the 9th BRS MLA to join Congress, with expectations that this number will increase further as Telangana Congress intensifies Operation Akarsh.