In a surprising decision, rebel legislative council member of Telugu Desam Party Pothula Sunitha resigned from her council membership, months after she had defected to the YSR Congress party.
Sunitha sent her resignation letter to state legislative council chairman Syed Ahmed Shariff stating that she had to take the decision in protest against the anti-BC, anti-SC, anti-ST and anti-minorities policies of the TDP for the last 15 years.
She accused TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh of stalling the developmental and welfare programmes of the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government at every stage using courts.
“The TDP has been acting in violation of the spirit of the Constitution of India. I am quitting my post in protest against the party stand,” she asserted.
She also said her decision to quit the post was to express solidarity with the pro-poor decisions of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
A follower of Paritala family, Pothula Sunitha along with her husband Pothula Suresh had been with the TDP for quite a long time.
She contested against Amanchi Krishna Mohan in Chirala in 2014 assembly elections. Later, Amanchi came to the TDP, resulting in clashes with Sunitha.
To appease her, Chandrababu Naidu nominated her as an MLC. Though Amanchi defected to the YSRC before 2019 elections, Sunitha continued in the TDP.
But early this year, when the Jagan government decided to abolish the legislative council, Sunitha defected to the YSRC.
The TDP gave a letter to legislative council chairman requesting that she be disqualified for defecting to the YSRC.
Even as the chairman is considering her disqualification, Sunitha resigned from her council membership.