Has Former BRS MLA Guvvala Balaraju Joined BJP?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Guvvala Balaraju joins BJP after leaving BRS.
- Involved in the 2022 MLA poaching case.
- Balaraju served the BRS for nearly two decades.
- BJP's influence in Telangana is on the rise.
- Criticism directed at Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
Hyderabad, Aug 10 (NationPress) Guvvala Balaraju, a former MLA who recently departed from the BRS, officially joined the BJP on Sunday.
The two-time MLA from Achampet was received into the BJP by the party's state president Ramchander Rao during an event held at the BJP office.
Balaraju was previously involved in a horse-trading controversy concerning four BRS MLAs back in 2022. The then BRS administration accused the BJP of attempting to lure away its MLAs with substantial monetary offers in the lead-up to the by-elections for the Mungode Assembly seat.
BJP national general secretary B. L. Santosh was also implicated in this MLA poaching incident.
Balaraju tendered his resignation from the BRS on August 2. In his resignation letter addressed to party president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, he expressed that his decision was made with a heavy heart after nearly two decades of service to the party.
He represented Achampet, a constituency earmarked for Scheduled Castes, in both the 2014 and 2018 elections, but faced defeat in 2023 against Chikkudu Vamshi Krishna of the Congress party.
In welcoming Balaraju into the BJP, Ramchander Rao asserted that the BJP is becoming the only credible alternative in Telangana. He noted that Balaraju was drawn to the party due to the positive initiatives undertaken by the Modi government at the national level.
Ramchander Rao mentioned that both he and Balaraju are lawyers who had the opportunity to serve the public at a young age.
He highlighted that the BJP garnered 13.09 percent of the votes in the 2023 Assembly elections, and its share surged to over 36 percent in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls, doubling its Lok Sabha representation to eight while the BRS failed to secure any seats.
Ramchander Rao also pointed out that the BJP's success in the recent MLC elections reflects the party's growing influence in the state. He claimed that numerous leaders are keen to join the BJP and expressed his readiness to welcome them.
He criticized Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for his repeated trips to Delhi and suggested he should remain in Hyderabad to understand the struggles faced by people during rain-induced waterlogging.
BJP MP K. Laxman, MLC Anji Reddy, and other leaders were present during the event.