VIJAYAWADA: In yet another shocker to TDP, its MLA from Chirala Assembly constituency Karanam Balaramakrishna Murthy has shifted his loyalty to YSRC though he has not joined the ruling party officially.
On Thursday, he accompanied his son Karanam Venkatesh and former MLA Paleti Rama Rao and others, who joined YSRC. As he has not tendered his resignation to his MLA post, he did not join the ruling party, but like two other TDP MLAs Vallabhaneni Vamsi (Gannavaram) and Maddali Giridhara Rao (Guntur West), he too will sit away from opposition TDP in the Assembly and work alongside YSRC for the development of his constituency.
Speaking to mediapersons on the occasion, Venkatesh said he along with a large number of leaders and activists from Chirala Assembly constituency joined YSRC. The main reason for joining YSRC was that they were attracted by the able governance and people- centric administration of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, he explained. Venkatesh asserted that he along with others would strive for strengthening the YSRC in Prakasam district by ensuring the welfare measures reach the intended people and pave the way for the party to retain complete majority in the district in 2024 elections. He said he has no intention of criticising other parties and his main concerns are developing Chirala constituency and Prakasam district, besides further strengthening YSRC.
Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, who hails from Prakasam district, said the inclusion of Venkatesh and Rama Rao into the YSRC ranks is a welcome development.
He said Karanam Balaram was very close to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, but today, he too has faced difficulties in that party as he is not getting due recognition. “He is against the adamant attitude of Naidu,” he said and assured that all people, including Amanchi Krishna Mohan from Chirala, will be cooperative with Karanam Balaram, Venkatesh and others in the development of Prakasam district.