YSRCP Vijayawada city chief set to join TDP

Vijayawada : YSR Congress Party Vijayawada city president Boppana Bhavakumar met TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh at his residence in Undavalli on Wednesday and expressed his desire to leave the ruling party and join TDP.

It may be noted that Bhavakumar contested unsuccessfully from Vijayawada East constituency during 2019. It is said that Bhavakumar decided to join TDP as the YSRCP has failed to recognise his services and he was facing humiliation.

He is unhappy as the YSRCP appointed Devineni Avinash as Vijayawada East in-charge, effectively ruling out his candidature. The efforts of Vijayawada East in-charge Devineni Avinash to convince Bhavakumar failed. After discussing with Vangaveeti Radha Krishna, Kesineni Sivanath and MLA Gadde Rammohan Rao, Bhavakumar has decided to quit the YSCRP and join TDP. He said there is no recognition for leaders in YSRCP and former minister and MLA K Parthasarathi who resigned from YSRCP will join TDP on January 21.

Bhavakumar said that the YSRCP failed to give importance to him though he served the party for the past four years. He said that as the local YSRCP leaders are not extending support, he decided to quit the party. He said that he discussed with MLA Gadde Rammohan and former MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao before quitting the YSRCP.

There has been an exodus of YSRCP leaders into TDP in recent days ahead of elections. MLC C Ramachandraiah, former minister Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, former MLA Dwarakanath Reddy and others joined TDP recently stating that only Chandrababu Naidu was capable of running the state on development path. Several leaders including MLAs expressed ire over denial even audience with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.