Hyderabad: Congress senior leader and former minister T Jeevan Reddy on Wednesday resigned from Indian National Congress, ending his 42-year association with the grand old party.However, he did not announce whether he would join any political party or launch his own party. Though there are reports that Jeevan Reddy might join BRS, his followers said a decision on future plans would be taken soon.He announced his resignation after holding a meeting with his main followers and supporters in Jagtial, and said he would now launch a fight against chief minister A Revanth Reddy, as he fought against then CMs N Chandrababu Naidu of TDP and K Chandrasekhar Rao of BRS.A six-term MLA from Jagtial, five terms on Congress ticket and one term from TDP, Jeevan was defeated by Sanjay Kumar of BRS from the same constituency in the 2023 elections. He found fault with the Congress leadership for encouraging defections and taking in Sanjay Kumar into the party.“CM Revanth did not even condemn or come to speak to the family members of one of my main followers, who was murdered. I have been facing insults and humiliation in the party. Congress came to power due to 10 years of the hard work of party workers, who faced police cases and high-handedness of BRS elected representatives and cadres. How can the Congress leadership again allow BRS leaders to dominate over the loyal Congress workers? The taking in of BRS MLAs despite having majority in the House will cause harm to Congress as none of the party workers are happy with that decision,” Jeevan Reddy said.He sent his resignation letter to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and explained the circumstances that led to his resignation. He thanked Kharge and the Gandhi family for giving him opportunities and positions in the party and govt.Jeevan Reddy served as roads and buildings minister in YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s cabinet in undivided AP, and excise minister in NT Rama Rao’s cabinet.He was unhappy with Congress decision to take BRS Jagtial MLA Sanjay Kumar into the party. Though TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC secretary Sachin Sawant met him on Tuesday and assured full support on behalf of AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Jeevan told his followers that he could not stay in the party, which could not respect the loyalists. “Honour is more important than positions. I did not say anything when I was not considered for a cabinet post. But who is Vem Narender Reddy?” he asked. Vem Narender Reddy was recently elected as a Rajya Sabha member.
