Congress preps to revive ‘Op Akarsh’ to rope in more BRS MLAs

Hyderabad: With the Supreme Court setting a three-month deadline for the assembly speaker to decide on the disqualification of turncoat MLAs, the ruling Congress is all set to revive its ‘Operation Akarsh' and go all out to rope in more BRS MLAs in a bid to escape the anti-defection law.The ruling party needs 16 more BRS legislators to merge the BRS Legislature Party (BRSLP) with the Congress Legislature Party (CLP). The BRS won 39 assembly seats in the 2023 assembly election but lost the Secunderabad Cantonment constituency in the 2024 bypoll.So far, 10 BRS legislators have joined the Congress after the assembly election. As per the anti-defection law, unless two-thirds of a party's legislators defect, the defectors are liable to be disqualified. In such cases, by-elections have to be held as legislators will have to resign after switching sides.Sources in the ruling Congress said the party had, in fact, been waiting for the apex court judgement to take a call on reviving ‘Operation Akarsh'. "Many BRS MLAs are still in touch with the Congress. The party leadership kept ‘Operation Akarsh' on hold due to the case pending in the Supreme Court. The party top guns will now decide on roping in more MLAs, even while taking the opinion of legal and constitutional experts for going in for an appeal to a larger bench or exploring other available alternatives," the source said.Meanwhile, Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud told TOI that ‘Operation Akarsh' was never called off. "It has always been active. If the MLAs, MLCs, and other important leaders from other parties want to join the Congress because they are impressed with the welfare schemes of the Revanth Reddy-led govt, what is wrong in allowing them into the party? The SC directions have to be followed, and the assembly speaker will decide what to do about it," he said.Party insiders say the Congress is eyeing at least half a dozen more BRS MLAs from Greater Hyderabad alone, a move that could strengthen its position ahead of the GHMC elections.On their part, the defected BRS MLAs are depending upon the Congress leadership, especially chief minister A Revanth Reddy, for support.Ghanpur Station MLA Kadiyam Srihari, one of the defectors, said on Tuesday: "We will abide by the decision of the speaker. But the BRS has no moral right to talk about the anti-defection law. It was the BRS that started defections in Telangana. First, they merged the Telugu Desam Legislature Party into BRSLP in 2016, and later CLP in June 2019." Earlier, Patancheru legislator Gudem Mahipal Reddy, another turncoat MLA, said he is not scared of a bypoll and exuded confidence in winning again in case of a by-election.However, political observers said the task of merging the BRSLP with the CLP is more challenging compared to the mergers in the past. The BRS was on strong political ground then. The TDP had 15 MLAs, and 12 of them joined the BRS, and the Congress had 19, of which 12 joined the BRS.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes, messages and quotes !