TIRUPATI/VIJAYAWADA: After being denied tickets, two sitting MLAs of the ruling YSRC quit the party and joined the national parties on Sunday.
Gudur YSRC MLA V Varaprasad Rao resigned from the party and donned the saffron colours. He was formally inducted into the BJP by Union Minister Anurag Thakur and BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde in New Delhi.
On the other hand, Chintalapudi YSRC MLA Vunnamatla Rakada Eliza also tendered his resignation to the party and joined the Congress. APCC chief YS Sharmila Reddy welcomed Eliza into the Congress in Hyderabad.
Varaprasad Rao’s decision to join the BJP stemmed from his deep dissatisfaction with the YSRC’s decision to nominate Meruga Murali as the party candidate for Gudur. After joining the BJP, Varaprasad Rao eulogised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and described himself as lucky to be part of the party.
According to sources, before his BJP affiliation, Varaprasad Rao had explored the option of joining the Jana Sena Party after being denied YSRC ticket from Gudur. However, he ultimately opted to align himself with the BJP due to lack of firm assurance from the JSP chief on allotment of ticket.
Eliza, who was miffed on being ignored by the YSRC, changed his loyalties to the grand old party. A native of Chintalapudi, he is a retired employee and joined the YSRC before the last elections.
Speaking to mediapersons, Eliza said he sent his resignation to the YSRC president via WhatsApp and also mailed the resignation letter to the party office. “I am a victim of group politics in Chintalapudi. I was insulted and even ignored for official functions. My name did not figure on plaques of foundation stones of development programmes in the constituency in violation of protocol. I took the mater to the notice of YSRC leadership, but there was no response. Though I worked sincerely for the party, the YSRC leadership cheated me,” he said.
Describing the Congress as the only secular party in the country, Eliza said he would strive for the victory of the party in the elections and exuded confidence that it would regain its past glory in Andhra Pradesh.