Beleagured following desertion of as many as nine MLAs and several other key leaders, Congress in Telangana had reason to cheer Wednesday as senior leader T Jeevan Reddy was elected to the Legislative Council from a Graduates constituency.
Reddy was victorious in the election held to the Karimnagar-Nizamabad-Medak-Adilabad Graduates constituency.
His victory means that Congress will have representation in the Council as the term of its two sitting MLCs is coming to an end.
In a setback to ruling TRS, three candidates backed by the party lost in the polls held for three constituencies in the Council (including the constituency where Jeevan Reddy won).
AICC in-charge of party affairs RC Khuntia congratulated Jeevan Reddy on his victory.
Alleging that TRS had won the Assembly polls in December last by 'managing EVMs', he said the ruling party suffered a setback when ballot papers were used in the Council polls, A Congress release quoted him as saying.
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The nine Congress MLAs had announced their decision this month to quit the party and join the ruling TRS.
Congress had won only 19 seats (total 119) in the Assembly polls in December last.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Dasoju Sravan said the victory of Congress-backed candidates in the MLC elections is a 'slap on the face of arroagant TRS."
He claimed that 'the fall of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's government was near and there would be some major developments in the next few days."