Dy CM Pushpa Sreevani's father-in-law quits YSRCP, says ruling party winning by threats

Kurupam (Vizianagaram): Satrucharla Chandrasekhara Raju, former MLA and father-in-law of Deputy Chief Minister Pushpasreevani, resigned from YSRCP here on Thursday. He was MLA of erstwhile Nagur constituency from Congress between 1989-1994.

Addressing the media to announce his decision, Chandrasekhar Raju accused the government of threatening people that they would be deprived of welfare schemes if they don't vote for YSRCP in the ongoing panchayat polls. He said village volunteers had threatened the voters and forced them to vote for the ruling party candidates in the elections.

The former MLA has influence in agency mandals of Kurupam constituency which played an important role in the victory of P Pushpasreevani in both 2014 and 2019.

However, he was with TDP during 2019 elections and joined his brother Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju and supported TDP candidates. When his daughter-in-law made Cabinet minister after the election and victory of YSRCP, he joined YSRCP. It is said that he was miffed at being neglected by his son Pareekshit Raju, the party in-charge for Araku Lok Sabha constituency, and his wife in recent times and decided to quit the party.

He said profligacy in the name of welfare schemes would severely affect the development of the state, adding that the government should reduce some unnecessary schemes to reduce the unproductive expenditure. He said ration door delivery was a burden for the government and suggested that the government spend more on infrastructure development instead of unnecessary welfare schemes.