His switch from Congress to BJP triggered the most expensive election, but now a reversal is in the works.

A former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Telangana, who left the Congress party last year to join the BJP, is now poised to return to the Congress just weeks before the Assembly polls. Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy has formally resigned from the BJP, stating his intention to defeat the K. Chandrashekar Rao government in Telangana, claiming that the public sentiment is favoring the Congress.

Mr. Reddy made headlines in August last year when he left the Congress to join the BJP. His resignation as an MLA left the Munugode Assembly seat vacant. In the subsequent by-election, Mr. Reddy was defeated by Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy from KCR’s party by a margin of approximately 10,000 votes.

The Munugode election in November of last year is notable for being one of the most expensive elections in the country’s history, with both parties heavily spending to court voters. Election officials reported the seizure of cash amounting to ₹8 crore and 5,000 liters of liquor in the lead-up to the election. The by-election also gained attention for being the most closely watched election in the country, with 48 CCTV cameras monitoring the polling process, which was webcast at 298 police stations.

In announcing his departure from the BJP, Mr. Reddy stated, “My goal is to defeat the KCR government. Public sentiment is in favor of the Congress, and I am following the will of the people.”

Mr. Reddy’s brother, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, is a Congress Member of Parliament representing Bhuvanagiri.

The Congress party is vigorously campaigning to dislodge the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government in Telangana. Prominent leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have attended campaign events in the state and accused KCR of prioritizing his family members over the state’s issues.

This attack on the political dynasty has elicited a strong response from KCR’s minister son KT Rama Rao and MLC daughter K Kavitha, both of whom criticized the Gandhi siblings, arguing that it is absurd for the great-grandchildren of Jawaharlal Nehru and grandchildren of Indira Gandhi to target them for family politics.