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YSRCP vanishes in Telangana
Confronting a tempest in Andhra Pradesh politics, the YSR Congress now faces a rout in Telangana as well with its mainstay in the State and Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy announcing that he would switch over to the ruling TRS.
Khammam: Confronting a tempest in Andhra Pradesh politics, the YSR Congress now faces a rout in Telangana as well with its mainstay in the State and Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy announcing that he would switch over to the ruling TRS.
The party, which won three Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat, in 2014 elections in Telangana, will be without a people’s representative in the State as it is likely to merge with TRS on May 4.
Albeit, the MP’s party hop is on the cards for a long time, the inevitable has happened on Monday but not before the routine stuff that precedes floor crossing of a leader.
Whether the crossover of the MP has the blessings of the YSRC chief Jaganmohan Reddy, as it was speculated, or not, it was a rude shock for the Congress ahead of May 16 polling for the by-election of Palair Assembly seat.
It might be noted here that YSRC had extended its support to the Congress nominee Sucharitha Ramireddy. In an emergency meeting of the party functionaries here, Ponguleti disclosed that he was willing to join the TRS as it became necessary for him to support the cause of protecting the interests of the Telangana.
“I have no issues with the party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy. But in the wake of recent developments in which Jagan’s stand against the Palamur-Rangareddy and Dindi irrigation projects on Krishna river has forced me to rethink over my continuation in the party,” Ponguleti said, explaining reasons that prompted him to join the TRS.
Jagan’s opposition to TS projects may be correct in his own perception based on Andhra Pradesh politics, but I believe that Telangana government is within its limits to utilise its share of Krishna and Godavari waters, he maintained. Stating that interests of the state are paramount to him, he urged the cadres to come with him if they want to be part of Telangana development.
Later, the IT Minister KT Rama Rao went to Ponguleti’s residence and invited him to the party fold. Speaking to media persons, KTR said that with the departure of Ponguleti and Pinapaka MLA Payam Venkateswarlu from the YSRC, the episode of one Andhra party is over. Further, he said that another Andhra party - Telugu Desam will meet a similar fate soon.
Meanwhile, Ponguleti, along with MLA Payam Venkateswarlu, will join the TRS in the presence of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao in Hyderabad on May 4. It may be mentioned here that the other two MLAs of the YSRC – Banoth Madan Lal (Wyra) and Thati Venkateswarlu (Aswaraopet) – have shifted loyalties to the ruling TRS.
