Trouble for Congress as former Adilabad MP Ramesh Rathod likely to join BJP

ADILABAD: In what may come as another major jolt to an already weak Congress party, former Adilabad MP Ramesh Rathod is likely to leave the grand-old party and join BJP soon. According to sources, he has not been actively participating in any program organized as per the State leadership’s call, for the past few months. It maybe recalled that Rathod had switched loyalties from TRS to the grand-old party only a few months before the 2018 Assembly elections, after being denied a pink ticket to contest from Adilabad.

Having spent a fare share of time in TDP as well, from where he got a ticket to contest in Parliament polls, his arrival at the grand-old fort had given the cadre hope that it would strengthen the party’s base. However, when Express tried to contact Rathod on the development, he was unavailable for comment.

Absence of a chief in dist In the meantime, the possible departure of a major figure like Rathod would undoubtedly put the grand-old party in dire straits at a time when its already reeling under the absence of a District Congress Committee (DCC) president in Adilabad. Though it has been five months, the State leadership had not until recently paid any attention to the issue.

However, sources told Express that the party leadership recently appointed a three-member committee, comprising former MLC Ramulu Naik, former MLA Ram Mohan Reddy and general secretary Mahesh Goud, to collect opinion from local leaders and cadre on who the next DCC president should be. The committee is set to visit the district on Friday to prepare a report after interacting with local leaders and cadre, which would then be submitted to the party high command for a final decision.

DCC prez resigned It maybe recalled that the party’s district faction has been functioning without a chief for the past four to five months, ever since former president Bhargav Deshpande resigned citing personal issues