Hyderabad: The Congress party seems to have a change of heart on the question of by-election in Kodangal assembly constituency of A. Revanth Reddy.

Revanth Reddy, who resigned from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to join Congress, had faxed his resignation as MLA from Kodangal seat to the Speaker of Telangana assembly last week, but the speaker cannot accept the resignation of a member unless he submits in person.

State minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Thursday told the media in the assembly complex that Revanth Reddy’s resignation was yet to reach the Speaker. “He was just making tall claims of resigning, but has not submitted it in format,” Yadav said.

Congress sources say that Revanth Reddy was advised not to press his resignation as party leaders feel that if by elections were held and the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) romps home it will deliver a psychological blow to Congress just before 2019 polls.

While Revanth Reddy was confident of retaining the Kodangal seat in Mahabubnagar seat, other Congress leaders were not willing to take risk. He was advised by the central leadership of Congress against pressing his resignation, paving the way for the bypoll.

Earlier Congress was hoping that Revanth Reddy’s resignation will put the Speaker S. Madhusudhana Chary in a dilemma and pressurise him to accept the resignations submitted by the other TDP and YSR Congress Party MLAs, who had joined the TRS in the past.

Meanwhile, TRS has moved in fast to weaken the base of Revanth Reddy by wooing many of his supporters and close aides to join the ruling party. TRS has given the responsibility of attracting Revanth Reddy’s supporters to its general secretary and senior minister K. Taraka Rama Rao.

Welcoming a group of TDP and Congress workers from Kodangal into TRS fold, Rao declared that the victory march of TRS in 2019 will start from Kodangal. “If a by election is held in the constituency, nobody will be able to stop the TRS from winning the seat,” he said.

When asked on the issue of resignation, the minister T. Srinivas Yadav, who had also defected from TDP to the TRS, said that there was no question of acceptance of his resignation now. “Almost entire Telugu Desam Legislature Party had merged with the TRS. So there is no question of resignation of any MLA,” he said.

Of the 15 TDP MLAs in Telangana 12 had defected to the TRS separately. Of the three remaining 3, Revanth Reddy has now joined Congress and he was unlikely to invited disqualification under the anti-defection law.

Meanwhile, in a damage control exercise national president of TDP and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reached Hyderabad today to address the extended state executive of Telangana TDP.

Naidu’s visit was being seen as an attempt to keep the party morale high after the exodus of several party leaders including Revanth Reddy into Congress earlier this week.