New Delhi: The Congress received a shot in the arm on Tuesday when about 40 leaders of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) joined the party in the presence of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.  Among them is A. Revanth Reddy, who resigned last week from TDP and the Telengana assembly. He was the working president of Telangana state unit of Telugu Desam Party.

Several supporters of Mr. Reddy, also joined the Congress. Also, 14 leaders of Telangana Rashtra Samiti TRS also joined the Congress including Potla Nageshwar Rao former MLC.

Others who joined the Congress include Narender Reddy, former MLA and party general secretary, and Boda Janardhan, a senior leader, and former minister.

The other leaders who quit Telugu Desam Party are Danasari Anasuya, ex-MLA and politburo member, Raja Ram Yadav, state spokesperson Medipally Sathyam, official spokesperson Soyam Bapu Rao, former MLA Satish Madiga, official spokesperson Kathera Gangadhar, ex-MLA and former MLA Vijayaramana. Among the new members, 10 are from SC/ST, while 10 belong to backward castes.

Mr. Reddy had complained of being sidelined in the Telugu Desam Party.

In his resignation to TDP president and chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu, he had alleged that the state unit was being close to the ruling TRS.

Congress general-secretary Incharge for Telangana R.C. Khuntia and the state unit chief Uttam Kumar Reddy were also present during the joining.

Mr. Khuntia said, “We welcome these leaders into the Congress family. This shows that the idea of Congress is gaining ground in the state. We are confident of bouncing back in the state in the next elections.”