HYDERABAD: Former Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, scion of a well-known political family and son-in-law of Apollo Group of Hospitals chairman C Pratap Reddy, is on a three-month sabbatical from Congress.
Though the political grapevine is he is jumping on to the BJP bandwagon, sources close to Vishweshwar Reddy said he has discussed with his close associates in the Chevella parliamentary constituency about the possibility of launching a new party.
However, before taking any decision on his future course of action, he wants to wait and watch for the result of the Nagarjunasagar assembly by-poll.
He informed Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy about his decision to take a break. Though his political baptism happened in TRS, the engineer-turned-politician had quit the ruling party and joined Congress just before the December 2018 assembly elections.
Vishweshwar Reddy told TOI he has not decided to join any party. Also, he has not resigned from the Congress.
“I will be away from Congress, but will be active in politics. I am keeping all my options open. I may float a new party to fight against the present dispensation in Telangana or wait to see if Congress can stand firmly against this government. I have personal reasons too to take a break,” he added.
He expressed unhappiness over the way things were moving in Congress at the national level. “But it is important that once you are in a party, it is difficult to think objectively, act independently. So that’s why I have decided to keep distance, explore options on how to take on this TRS government,” he said.
He might also return to TRS fold if things change for the better. But he laughed at his statement indicating it was not a serious comment. However, he made it clear he has not made a commitment to any political party to join it. The talk in political circles that he might join BJP has been there for two to three years now, he said.
Reason for his decision now? Vishweshwar Reddy said he did not want the poll prospects of Congress MLC candidate G Chinna Reddy to suffer due to his decision. “I campaigned for Chinna Reddy from Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahabubnagar graduate MLC constituency. I hope he wins,” he said.