VIJAYAWADA : In a shot in the arm for the ruling YSRC, which is keen on retaining the Mangalagiri Assembly seat, MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, popularly known as RK, returned to the party fold on Tuesday over two months after resigning from the party after the leadership considered appointing BC leader Ganji Chiranjeevi as the coordinator of his constituency.
After raising the banner of revolt against the ruling party, RK joined the Congress in the presence of its State chief YS Sharmila.
Sources said the YSRC leadership realised that it would be difficult to win the coveted Mangalagiri seat without the support of RK.
The party wants to retain the seat and does not want to take any chances as TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh is expected to contest it.
The YSRC leadership, in January, had given additional responsibilities of Guntur Parliamentary constituency, which includes Mangalagiri Assembly seat, to its trouble-shooter V Vijayasai Reddy to set things right.
Sources said Vijayasai Reddy convinced RK to return to the party. With the mediation of the Rajya Sabha MP and RK’s brother Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called RK to meet him.
Jagan gave RK a warm hug and welcomed him into the party. Emerging from the Chief Minister’s camp office, RK said it’s for the party to decide on the candidate for Mangalagiri. “I will ensure that the candidate wins the seat. The YSRC will win the seat for the third consecutive time,’’ he asserted.
I’m determined to thwart ploy of Oppn: Alla
Putting to rest reports that he might contest from the Mangalagiri seat, RK said Lokesh will face defeat this time at the hands of a BC leader.
Asserting that Jagan is treading the path of his father late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, he said the Opposition parties are hell bent on hindering the development. “I want to ensure that the ploy of Opposition parties does not work and that’s why I decided to return to the YSRC.”
APCC working president Mastan Vali said RK was not invited to join the party but the latter had joined it. “The MLA claimed that he had lost crores of rupees due to Jagan. RK should answer as to what settlement he had arrived at to join back the YSRC,’’ he asked.