HYDERABAD/KHAMMAM : Months after former Minister Jupally Krishna Rao and ex-MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy raised a banner of revolt, the ruling BRS has finally suspended the duo for their alleged anti-party activities, on Monday. The party cracked the whip a day after Krishna Rao attended an Athmeeya Sammelanam programme organised in Kothagudem by Srinivasa Reddy and discussed their future course of action.
Krishna Rao, a five-time MLA and former Panchayat Raj Minister, lost in 2018 Assembly polls. B Harshavardhan Reddy, who contested on a Congress ticket and defeated Krishna Rao, later joined BRS. Since then, Krishna Rao has been indulging in anti-party activities, BRS leaders alleged.
Both Harshavardhan Reddy and Krishna Rao took to the streets some time back and tried organise rallies against each other in Kollapur. At that time, BRS working president KT Rama Rao had discussions with Krishna Rao and tried to pacify the latter.
However, Krishna Rao remained a dissident leader in the party. In Khammam district, Srinivasa Reddy, who joined BRS from YSRCP, declared an open war against the party leadership. In recent times, he announced his own candidates in at least 10 Assembly segments and also hurled choicest abuses against the party leaders at recent meetings.
Srinivasa Reddy also criticised the policies of the BRS government as well as Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Minister KT Rama Rao.
“I am happy that the party suspended me. But, I have sacrificed the posts and the party gave suspension as a gift,” Krishna Rao said. He said that the party did not even give the membership books to him for the last three years. He also blamed the party ‘elders’ for his defeat in 2018 Assembly elections in Kollapur.
‘Not bigger than the party’
Speaking to reporters, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy alleged that both Krishna Rao and Srinivas Reddy had been behaving like they were bigger than the party. Stating that till recently, Krishna Rao was lauding the efforts of KCR in developing the irrigation and other sectors in the State, the minister said: “The party gave sufficient time for Jupally to mend his ways. But he hasn’t. The party won’t’ tolerate those who behave as if they were above the party,” he said. It remains to be seen if Krishna Rao will join any other party.
Srinivasa Reddy may join either BJP or Congress. His followers believe that the time has come for him to take a right decision. In 2018, BRS snubbed Srinivasa Reddy and gave Khammam Lok Sabha ticket to Nama Nageswara Rao. His close aide T Brahamaiah said after denying him the ticket in 2018, the Chief Minister assured him that he would be accommodated suitably. But, the assurance remained unfulfilled till date, he pointed out.
In the last three months, Srinivasa Reddy intensified his political activities. He alleged that the Chief Minister and his son KT Rama Rao tried to bury him politically. He stated that no BRS candidate would step into Assembly in the coming elections from erstwhile Khammam district. He said he would consult leaders who were upset with party high command in the State and take the right decision.