VIJAYAWADA: The rift between BC Welfare Minister Chelluboina Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra Bose in Konaseema district came to the fore on Sunday with the MP’s followers making it clear that they would not support the candidature of the minister from Ramachandrapuram Assembly constituency in the ensuing elections. They demanded the seat for Bose’s son Suryaprakash.
Ramachandrapuram was earlier represented by Bose and now he wants his son to contest the seat, sources said and he had reportedly informed the same to the YSRC high command. However, in the recently held regional coordinator meeting, the party leadership made it clear that Chelluboina would contest from Ramachandrapuram. This reportedly made the MP organise meetings in the name of BC Atmeeya Sammelanam.
Bose won from Ramachandrapuram constituency thrice and his is loyal to the YSR family. He served as a minister in the YS Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet and later in Konijeti Rosaiah’s Cabinet. After the YSRC was formed, he joined the party. He was inducted into YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Cabinet as a Deputy Chief Minister when he was an MLC. As the government proposed to do away with Legislative Council initially, it had elevated Bose to the Rajya Sabha.
According to YSRC sources, Bose was assured of an MLC seat and asked to part away with Ramachandrapuram Assembly seat to accommodate Chelluboina, who earlier worked as the East Godavari Zilla Parishad Chairman. He unsuccessfully contested from Kakinada Rural constituency in 2014.
“We worked for the victory of Chelluboina in 2019 respecting the party’s directive. After becoming the minister, he is getting cases registered against us. He is an outsider and we will not support or extend cooperation to him in the 2024 elections,’’ said speakers at Atmeeya Sammelanam held at Draksharamam on Sunday.
Followers of Bose are organising the meetings to garner support for Suryaprakash and also to assert pressure on the YSRC leadership to find an alternative seat for Chelluboina. Responding to the dissidence against him, Chelluboina said he would not react to the incident. “I am a representative of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The YSRC leadership has cleared my name for Ramachandrapuram seat in the 2024 elections,’’ he asserted.