Hyderabad: Congress Working President Jagga Reddy on Sunday rejected claims that resentment against Harish Rao led to his exit from the BRS, describing the allegation as false and misleading. He said he joined the Congress only after an invitation from former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
Speaking to reporters at Gandhi Bhavan, Jagga Reddy dismissed MLC Kavitha’s remarks that anger towards Harish Rao pushed him into the Congress. He said there was no truth in her statement. According to him, political rivalry with Harish Rao in the erstwhile Medak district had existed for years. However, he clarified that this rivalry never influenced his party switch. Moreover, he pointed out that the BRS won elections in Siddipet and Sangareddy even when the Congress was in power.
He further said Rajasekhara Reddy appreciated his political style and conveyed his interest through an intermediary. As a result, assurances related to constituency development and the promise of setting up an IIT shaped his decision. He accused Kavitha of speaking without political clarity or basic understanding.
Jagga Reddy hits out at Kavitha and Harish Rao
Meanwhile, Jagga Reddy said Kavitha became a leader only because she was KCR’s daughter. Therefore, he questioned why she dragged him into internal BRS matters. He advised her to reflect on dynastic politics before criticising others and said her remarks about becoming chief minister amused him. Additionally, he said both KCR and Chandrababu Naidu had earlier left the Congress and described them as tributaries that eventually merged into the Congress stream.
At the same time, Jagga Reddy asserted that his political style differed sharply from Harish Rao’s approach. He said political clashes between them remained inevitable since Sangareddy functioned as the district headquarters. He claimed that after he organised a Rahul Gandhi meeting, KCR reprimanded Harish Rao. Subsequently, he alleged that Harish Rao worked to defeat him in later elections.
Finally, Jagga Reddy said he never reversed decisions once taken and warned against emotional politics. He said political battles demanded consistency and clarity. He added that his family declined the DCC president post and had already submitted a letter recommending Ujjwal Reddy for the position.