Pocharam Regrets Quitting Brs And Joining Congress

Banswada MLA and former Telangana Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy has made fresh remarks about his decision to leave the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and join the Congress, saying he did not switch parties for a ministerial post or financial benefits, but only for the development of his constituency.

Speaking at an interaction with party workers and supporters at Birkoor in Kamareddy district, Pocharam recalled his long association with former chief minister and BRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao and made emotional comments about leaving the party.

Pocharam said he never wanted to “betray” KCR by joining the Congress. However, he claimed that he was forced to take the decision because several development works in Banswada were pending and funds were required to complete them.

“I did not join the Congress for selfish interests. I did not wear the Congress scarf for a ministerial post or money,” he said, maintaining that his only aim was to secure funds for pending works in his constituency.

Pocharam said he could never forget those who had supported him and recalled that considerable development had taken place in Banswada during the KCR government.

He also suggested that circumstances created by certain individuals had ultimately pushed him to change parties.

Recalling the assurances given to him when he joined the Congress, Pocharam said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had promised that bills related to pending development works in Banswada would be cleared within six months.

However, he alleged that only about half of the required funds had been released since his switch to the Congress.

With contractors’ bills still pending, several works had come to a halt, resulting in a slowdown in development activity in the constituency, he said.

Pocharam said he had repeatedly approached Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy seeking the release of funds, but claimed that he had not received the response he expected.

He also recalled a meeting held by the Chief Minister with MLAs who had defected from the BRS in November last year.

Pocharam said he had directly questioned Revanth Reddy during the meeting, asking whether he had “sold himself” to the Chief Minister or whether his MLA post had been purchased.

He further alleged that even his phone calls to the Chief Minister and ministers regarding funds for Banswada were not being answered. He also expressed disappointment that Chief Minister’s adviser Vem Narender Reddy was not responding to his calls.

The former Speaker said his decision to join the Congress should not be seen as abandoning his political principles. He maintained that he had acted with the broader interests of the people in mind.

While admitting that development works in Banswada had slowed down, Pocharam urged his supporters not to lose confidence.

He expressed hope that his political camp would once again emerge victorious in Banswada in the coming days.

Pocharam’s latest remarks have triggered discussion in Telangana political circles, mainly because of his continued admiration for KCR and his dissatisfaction over the funds received after joining the Congress.

His comments have also brought fresh attention to the political and administrative challenges faced by MLAs who switched from the BRS to the Congress.

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