Devender Goud likely to join Congress

Devender Goud, senior leader of Telugu Desam Party, is learnt to have decided to turncoat and join Congress party that has become active in Telangana for sometime now. Goud, originally TDP leader, later founded the Nava Telangana Praja Party (NTP) in 2008 to fight for separate statehood for Telangana region, then merged it into Chiranjeevi’s PRP and lost elections in 2009 and finally returned to his parent outfit TDP. He served as a cabinet minister for BC welfare and Prohibition portfolios in NTR’s cabinet, cabinet minister for Revenue and Home portfolios under Chandrababu Naidu. He was considered number two leader, next only to Nara Chandrababu Naidu in TDP before he resigned to TDP. Now he is learnt to have decided to join the Congress party along with his son Veerender Goud. There are rumors he took this decision, keeping his son’s political future in mind.

Devender Goud is not in active politics in last few years because of health issues. He got the treatment in the US and recovered now and started focusing on political career again. But as TDP lost its base in Telangana, thanks to Operation Akarsh by KCR, Goud started exploring other options. For some reasons, he explored congress and BJP but not TRS. But he ruled out BJP option too and finally decided to join Congress party along with his son Veerender. With Revanth Reddy joining the party recently, Congress party is in full ‘josh’. Goud is very powerful BC leader and his joining is expected to strengthen Congress further.