Hyderabad, Jun 24 (IANS): Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K. T. Rama Rao has tried to play down defections of his party MLAs to ruling Congress saying the power of people is always stronger.

He reacted to the latest defection of Jagtial MLA M. Sanjay Kumar through a post on ‘X’ on Monday.

“The power of people is always stronger than the people in power. We have faced several defections of MLAs in the past in 2004-06 when Congress was in Government. Telangana responded strongly by stepping up the people’s agitation and eventually Congress had to bow its head. History shall repeat itself,” wrote KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known.

Sanjay Kumar joined Congress on Sunday in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

The Chief Minister, who is also the President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), welcomed Sanjay into the party.

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, former minister Sudershan Reddy and Chief Minister’s advisor Vem Narender Reddy were present.

Sanjay was re-elected for a second consecutive term from the Jagtial Assembly constituency in Nizamabad district in the elections held in November 2023.

He is the fifth BRS MLA to switch loyalties since Congress came to power in December last year.

This came two days after senior leader and former Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy joined the Congress party.

Pocharam Srinivas Reddy is a BRS MLA and a prominent leader from Nizamabad district.

BRS had won 39 seats in the 119-member Assembly. Its strength has now come down to 33 as it also lost the recent Secunderabad Cantonment by-election to the ruling party.