In a setback to the Congress in Telangana, senior party leader and former minister Marri Shashidhar Reddy, son of former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Marri Channa Reddy, quit the party on Tuesday.

Shashidhar Reddy, who had been a loyal Congressman for several decades and even headed a 'Congress Loyalists Forum' of Telangana Congress leaders, sent his resignation to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. He alleged that the influence of money was growing in the party affairs.

"They (the AICC in-charges) have consistently failed to function as representatives of the high command and were playing along to promote the personal agenda of successive PCC presidents and failed to protect the party's interest. So much so, it is impossible to believe that money has not been a driving force," he said in the letter to Sonia Gandhi.

"There are enough instances that give credence to suspicions that it was not just the AICC in-charge of Telangana, Manickam Tagore, who has been the recipient of largesse from PCC president Revanth Reddy, but also KC Venugopal, the key AICC General Secretary (Organisation). I am saying this with all responsibility, though I have not not seen money being exchanged between them," he said.

He also wrote about the alleged failure of state Congress president Revanth Reddy in building the party organisation and the latter's undesirable attitude towards some senior leaders and issues.

"For me, it is Telangana first right now. Since Congress has miserably failed to play its role as the main opposition with commitment to protect the people's interests, I wish to bid farewell to the party and pursue viable options and contribute to save the people from the clutches of the ruling TRS party," he said.

He thanked the Congress for making him a minister when late PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister and the Congress president, and also for appointing him to the post of vice-chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) during the UPA regime.

Shashidhar Reddy said he would join the BJP on November 25 in Delhi.

In a setback to the Congress in Telangana, senior party leader and former minister Marri Shashidhar Reddy, son of former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Marri Channa Reddy, quit the party on Tuesday.

Shashidhar Reddy, who had been a loyal Congressman for several decades and even headed a 'Congress Loyalists Forum' of Telangana Congress leaders, sent his resignation to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. He alleged that the influence of money was growing in the party affairs.

"They (the AICC in-charges) have consistently failed to function as representatives of the high command and were playing along to promote the personal agenda of successive PCC presidents and failed to protect the party's interest. So much so, it is impossible to believe that money has not been a driving force," he said in the letter to Sonia Gandhi.

"There are enough instances that give credence to suspicions that it was not just the AICC in-charge of Telangana, Manickam Tagore, who has been the recipient of largesse from PCC president Revanth Reddy, but also KC Venugopal, the key AICC General Secretary (Organisation). I am saying this with all responsibility, though I have not not seen money being exchanged between them," he said.

He also wrote about the alleged failure of state Congress president Revanth Reddy in building the party organisation and the latter's undesirable attitude towards some senior leaders and issues.

"For me, it is Telangana first right now. Since Congress has miserably failed to play its role as the main opposition with commitment to protect the people's interests, I wish to bid farewell to the party and pursue viable options and contribute to save the people from the clutches of the ruling TRS party," he said.

He thanked the Congress for making him a minister when late PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister and the Congress president, and also for appointing him to the post of vice-chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) during the UPA regime.

Shashidhar Reddy said he would join the BJP on November 25 in Delhi.