Marri Shashidhar Reddy is the latest and seniormost Congress leader to desert the Congress party in Telangana. Two other Congress leaders recently joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—Konda Visweshwar Reddy and Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy. Etela Rajender and Raghunandhan Rao from the ruling TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi), also joined BJP. Meanwhile, Shashidhar Reddy is a big catch for the BJP as his father, the late Dr Marri Chenna Reddy, sowed the seeds of a separate statehood around 1969 and led his party Telangana Praja Samithi (TPS) to win 10 out 14 Lok Sabha seats. Marri Shashidhar Reddy will formally join the BJP on November 25 or 28, depending on which senior leadership can make the time from the Gujarat polls. Edited Excerpts: