ONGOLE: In another jolt to the YSRC, former minister Balineni Srinivas Reddy on Wednesday resigned from the primary membership of the party. He sent his resignation letter to YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Over the past few weeks, speculation was rife that Balineni would quit the YSRC as he was not satisfied with his role in the party.
A YSRC leader and Balineni’s supporter, Srinivasa Rao told TNIE that the former minister has made arrangements to meet Jana Sena Party president and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Thursday to finalise the terms and conditions to join the party.
He is expected to announce his decision to join the JSP on the same day. “We hope that after finalising the terms, Balineni will conduct a meeting here in Ongole with all his followers to explain the recent political developments and seek our support,” Rao said.
So far, the YSRC has lost key leaders in Ongole, including MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, former minister Sidda Raghava Rao, MLC and YSRC State women’s wing chief Pothula Sunitha, Ongole Municipal Corporation Mayor Gangada Sujatha and Deputy Mayor Vemuri Bujji among others. Balineni had been unhappy with the YSRC over the last few years, reportedly due to the high command’s negligent attitude towards him.
The party’s decision to retain Audimulapu Suresh as minister following the then Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Cabinet rejig, YV Subba Reddy’s role in the party’s district activities, allegations against him related to the attack on Vysya leader Subba Rao Gupta, land encroachment by P Surya Prakash Reddy, appointing Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy (YSRC leader from Chittoor district) as the party’s regional coordinator among other issues reportedly led to Balineni resigning from the YSRC.
He was also against the YSRC’s decision to nominate Chevireddy as Ongole MP candidate instead of sitting MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy. Balineni had also held several discussions with Jagan over the issue. Following the YSRC’s poll debacle, the former minister accused the TDP-led NDA coalition of tampering with the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) and subsequently lodged a complaint with the Election Commission.
He had also submitted an application for personal verification of the EVMs used in the elections and cross-checked the number of votes polled in the EVMs with the number of VVPAT slips in 12 polling stations of Ongole Assembly segment by paying the prescribed fee to the government.