ONGOLE/VIJAYAWADA: In a jolt to the opposition TDP, former minister and senior TDP leader Sidda Raghava Rao along with his son Sidda Sudhir joined the ruling YSRC in presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at his camp office at Tadepalli near here on Wednesday. Jagan welcomed Sidda and his followers into the YSRC fold by offering them party scarves.
Earlier, TDP leaders from Prakasam Kadiri Babu Rao, Gade Venkata Reddy, his son Gade Madhusudan Reddy, and Karanam Venkatesh, son of Chirala MLA Karanam Balaram, have shifted their loyalties to the YSRC. Just two days ago, TDP MLA Karanam Balaram, once a close associate of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who has good relationship with Sidda Raghava Rao, stated that several TDP leaders were thinking seriously of switching loyalties to the ruling party as most of them are vexed with the behaviour of the TDP chief.
Adding strength to Balaram’s claims, Sidda Raghava Rao along with his son joined the YSRC on Wednesday. Interestingly, Karanam Venkatesh also met Jagan on Wednesday, and conveyed wishes on YSRC government’s successful completion of one-year rule. District Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy and MLA Balaram have reportedly played a key role in bringing the Sidda family into the ruling party.
Already, two members of the Siddha family, Sidda Hanumantha Rao and Surya Prakash, joined the YSRC on March 16, 2020. Now, with SRR and his son coming into the YSRC fold, the Sidda family’s union with the YSRC has been completed.
The development will come in hand for the ruling party as the Sidda family, known for its granite business, has good relations and reputation in their Vysya community across the State. Speaking on the occasion, Sidda said he and his son were attracted very much by the welfare and development programmes implemented in the last one year by the Jagan government.
“We want to be a part of this government’s public welfare and development activities, hence we joined the party. We assure the party high command our sincere efforts and services for the overall development of the State in general and Prakasam district in particular. Our joining is unconditional and we’ll sincerely do whatever responsibilities the CM and party give us,” the former minister explained. Sidda unsuccessfully contested from Ongole Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 polls.