MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy along with senior leaders

HYDERABAD: Faced with a crisis of sorts after two-thirds of its 18 MLAs joined the ruling TRS, the Congress in Telangana might suffer a fresh setback with another party legislator hinting he might switch over to BJP.

Congress MLA from Munugode near Nalgonda, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy Sunday expressed disappointment over the current state of affairs in the party not only in Telangana but in the entire country.

The country would progress under the BJP, he said adding it was the alternative to counter the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Amid reports that he might join BJP, Reddy, an influential leader from Nalgonda district, said he would meet his supporters to take a decision on his future course.

Reacting to the overture, state BJP president K Laxman Sunday said not only Reddy, whoever wanted to strengthen the BJP and the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah would be welcomed.

He claimed many leaders, including MPs and MLAs, were approaching the BJP in the state and a list of those willing to join the party had already been sent to the national leadership, which will take a decision.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka described Reddy's remarks hailing BJP as his personal opinion and said the party high command would take a decision in the backdrop of the MLA's critical comments about the party.

"That is his personal opinion. If anybody thinks BJP will be the alternative, it's only a myth, he told reporters here.

Pleading ignorance about reported meeting between Reddy and BJP leader Ram Madhav, he, however, said some political realignment is happening in the state. I can't talk on that based on media reports.

Earlier, the Congress MLA alleged his party was not able to effectively take on the TRS.

"The Congress is in a difficult position, not only in Telangana, but the whole of India. The country will progress under BJP. The youth are with BJP.The party is the alternative to counter KCR (Chandrasekhar Rao)," Reddy told PTI.

The country's interests should also be kept in mind, he said adding he was not after any post.

Reddy claimed Congress did not have an effective leadership and was not able to take "right and timely decisions though people like him were fighting the TRS."

Targeting state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and AICC in charge of party affairs in Telangana R C Khuntia, he alleged they were not being able to provide effective leadership to fight TRS.

Laxman said the BJP national leadership was focusing on Telangana and whether it was Rajagopal Reddy or others they will be welcomed into the party.

Many leaders are approaching us. There are many people right from MLAs and MPs... it has been brought to the notice of high command and they will look into it and take a decision," he told reporters here.

Claiming that people were fed up with Congress, he said they feel BJP was the only viable alternative to the TRS.

Though the Congress won 19 seats in the last assembly elections, most of its MLAs had switched over to the TRS for their selfish motives and people have lost faith in them, he alleged.

"...we will take on TRS on their family rule, feudal rule and divisive politics. We will fight anti-people policies of TRS, Laxman said.

The Congress MLA's move comes close on the heels of 12 of the 18 party MLAs broke away from the party and merged their group with the TRS, dealing a blow to the national party at a time when it has been facing dissidence in several state units following the Lok Sabha poll debacle.

