Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former MP A.P. Jithender joined the Congress party along with his son on Friday evening and was immediately appointed as the Government’s Special Representative in New Delhi and Adviser to Government (Sports Affairs) in the status of a State Minister rank.
Mr. Jithender Reddy was an aspirant for the Mahabubnagar ticket from the BJP, but was denied in favour of another senior D.K. Aruna. A peeved Mr. Reddy was approached by the Congress immediately with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy himself calling on him at his residence on Thursday.
A two-time MP from Mahabubnagar — once on BJP ticket and later on behalf of the BRS party — Mr. Reddy will add strength to the Congress in Mahabubnagar Parliament given his organisational skills and financial muscle.
Earlier, Mr. Jithender Reddy sent his resignation letter to the BJP president J.P. Nadda where he claimed that after Bandi Sanjay was removed as party president in Telangana, it lost its steam. The party should have won 25 seats in the Assembly but ended up with just 8 seats. He also alleged that outsiders, who don’t share party ethos, were being given preference over seniors.
