Hyderabad Mayor Vijaya Laxmi joins Congress

In a shot in the arm for the Congress in Telangana, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Mayor Vijaya Laxmi R Gadwal joined the party here on Saturday.

Vijaya Laxmi joined Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, AICC in-charge of party affairs in Telangana Deepa Dasmunsi and other leaders.

Vijaya Laxmi joining Congress is expected to help the party in the GHMC limits in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress did not win any of the 24 seats that fall under the limits of GHMC in the recent Assembly polls, though it won a majority.

Meanwhile, Revanth Reddy and other Congress leaders on Saturday night met Vijaya Laxmi's father and BRS Rajya Sabha member K Keshav Rao at the latter's residence. Keshav Rao said on Friday that he would return to the Congress fold.

Keshav Rao, who had served as PCC president earlier, met Revanth Reddy, who is also PCC president, on Friday.

Noting that he had worked in the grand old party for 55 years, the 85-year-old leader said he would do 'ghar vapsi' (returning to home).

Asked if he is quitting BRS due to any differences with the regional party or his love for the Congress, he said it was affinity for the national party.

Keshav Rao had joined BRS (then TRS) in 2013.

Former BRS MLC Puranam Satish also joined the Congress today, party sources said.

The BRS has witnessed an exodus of senior leaders in recent times.

While BRS MLA Danam Nagender and party MP G Ranjit Reddy switched to Congress, two sitting BRS MPs BB Patil and P Ramulu joined the BJP.

Congress has also invited senior BRS MLA and former deputy chief minister Kadiam Srihari and his daughter Kadiam Kavya to join the party. Srihari said he would take a decision in a day or two.