Former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator from Achampet, Guvvala Balaraju, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, August 10, in the presence of Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao. His move comes just days after his resignation from the BRS on August 2, a decision that became public when an audio clip of his conversation with a supporter was leaked on August 4. In the clip, Balaraju claimed he chose to join BJP as he believed the BRS was preparing either to merge with or form an alliance with the saffron party.

Explaining his decision in the leaked call, Balaraju told his supporter that it made more sense for him to switch before the BRS officially aligned with the BJP, questioning what role he would have in the party after such a move. He also pointed out that despite his history of opposing the BJP, the political reality pushed him to reconsider his stance. His comments reflected both political calculation and dissatisfaction with the current leadership direction within BRS.

Another factor behind Balaraju’s exit was his discontent over internal party developments, particularly the rise of RS Praveen Kumar in the Achampet constituency. Reports suggest that Praveen was being considered as the future BRS candidate for the seat, sidelining Balaraju. Additionally, the BRS leadership’s decision to offer RS Praveen Kumar the ticket for the Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha constituency, a post Balaraju had reportedly been eyeing, further fueled his discontent and accelerated his move to the BJP.