Jolt to Jagan: Jupudi quits YSRCP

• Says he was not treated well by Jagan and his family
• Alleges party has become a family enterprise

Hyderabad: In a major jolt to the YSR Congress Party, the party’s official spokesperson and MLC Jupudi Prabhakar Rao, who was once considered to be a close aide of YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, quit the party. He is likely to join TDP.

Announcing his decision at a press conference, the Dalit leader said he had decided to quit the party as the situation in the YSRCP was fast changing and there was a gulf between Jagan and other leaders in the party. Jagan, he said, was not following in the footsteps of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and hence he felt that there was no meaning in continuing in the party anymore.

Rao said, after the elections, most of the leaders in the party were ill-treated and he felt insecure with Jagan’s attitude and his approach towards party leaders. He alleged that the party had become a family enterprise and was ignoring all important leaders post-general elections.

The senior leader broke down while disclosing the details about the ill-treatment meted out to him by Jagan and his family. He said he stood by Jagan’s family at the most difficult times, particularly after the arrest of the party chief in the quid pro cases. He said he felt anguished when he came to know that Jagan’s family members were behind his defeat in the Assembly elections in Kondapi constituency in Prakasam district.

Stating that he had faxed his resignation letter to Jagan, Rao said the party leader was not interested in strengthening the party. As a member of the party's Central Governing Council (CGS), he had suggested that a meeting to analyse the reasons for the party’s debacle be convened but Jagan refused to do so. Though Rao did not say which party he would be joining, sources said that he was keen to join the TDP. He had recently met TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu.