A week after two of its MLAs left the party and joined the ruling TRS, Congress in Telangana was dealt a further blow when its legislator

Hyderabad, Mar 9 (PTI): A week after two of its MLAs left the party and joined the ruling TRS, Congress in Telangana was dealt a further blow when its legislator from Nakrekal, Chirumarthi Lingaiah, Saturday announced that he would join the Telangana Rashtra Samiti. The MLA made the announcement in a press release here.

The two Congress MLAs -- Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka) and Atram Sakku (Asifabad) -- had announced on March 2 that they decided to join the ruling TRS in the interest of the 'welfare and development of Scheduled Tribes, especially Adivasis.' TDP MLA from Sattupalle Sandra Venkata Veeraiah Sunday had also joined the TRS that day. With the three Congress MLAs quitting the party, the party's strength in the 119 member Assembly will now be down to 16.

In the December 7 2018 assembly elections, the Congress had won 19 seats. The TRS had returned to power in the elections, winning 88 seats. Giving his reasons for joining TRS, Lingaiah said that despite being defeated at the hustings, the congress leaders had not changed their attitude. Instead of supporting the government's developmental activities, they were creating obstacles, he alleged. "I believe it is not fair. I decided to join TRS for the development of my constituency and Nalgonda district," he said.