It has been a week since the former MP from Khammam, Ponguleti Srinivasulu Reddy, and former minister Jupally Krishna Rao were suspended from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for raising a banner of revolt against the party.
Both leaders joined hands with each other and attacked the BRS leadership for suppressing democratic voices in the party. Srinivasulu Reddy organized an “Atmeeya Sammelanam” at Kothagudem town in Bhadradri Kothagudem district to take a dig at the BRS leadership for ignoring genuine party workers.
The meeting was attended by Krishna Rao, who represented Kollapur assembly constituency in Nagarkurnool district. He alleged that the chief minister was acting like a monarch, suppressing democratic voices in the party.
Soon after their suspension from the BRS, it was expected that both of them would join the same party – either the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party to test their luck in the next elections.
It has been more than a week now since they came out of the BRS, but they have not taken any decision on their future course of action. However, sources said both leaders are not joining the same party, but might choose different parties to test their luck.
According to sources, Ponguleti was in touch with Congress leaders since it is the only party which has bright chances in Khammam, where the BJP has little scope. He reportedly held discussions with the team of Rahul Gandhi and has given the green signal to join the party.
On the other hand, Jupally was contacted by state BJP leaders, and he reportedly gave the consent to join the BJP. He is expected to join the BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is visiting Telangana on April 23 when he will be holding a public meeting at Chevella.
Ponguleti, who got elected from Khammam parliamentary constituency in 2014 on the YSR Congress party ticket, shifted loyalties to the BRS. In the 2019 general elections, however, he was denied the BRS ticket, which was given to his arch-rival Nama Nageshwara Rao, who defected from the Telugu Desam Party.
Since then, he had been sulking and feeling completely sidelined. On January 18, when KCR addressed a huge rally of the BRS at Khammam, which was attended by several opposition leaders in the country, Reddy was not invited.
On the other hand, Jupally has also been feeling neglected in the party ever since he lost the assembly seat from Kollapur in the 2018 elections. He lost to Congress candidate B Harshvardhan Reddy, who later defected to the BRS.