Joining TDP today, says YSRC Addanki MLA

Jagan has no moral right to talk about defections: Ravikumar

Even as YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy went to New Delhi in his bid to drum up support against what he termed as “undemocratic and unethical” defection of the party MLAs, another legislator of the party Gottipatti Ravikumar on Tuesday announced his decision to formally join the ruling TDP on Wednesday.

The three-time MLA told The Hindu that, “I and my followers, including local body representatives, will formally join the TDP in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at A Convention centre in Vijayawada tomorrow.”

Turning down the challenge from Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy to the defecting YSRC MLAs to first resign and contest Assembly elections afresh, Mr. Ravikumar said that the YSRC president, who encouraged defections from the ruling Congress as also from the TDP on a large scale during the 2014 elections, had no moral right to point an accusing finger now.

“Though I was elected to the Assembly on Congress ticket in 2009, I was accepted into the YSR Congress fold before resigning as Congress MLA,” Mr. Ravikumar said.

In all, 100 ZPTC, MPTC, MPP, and cooperative society members, who have been with him for the last 15 years, would also join the ruling party on Wednesday, Mr. Ravikumar said.

TDP assurance

“I have extracted an assurance from the TDP to ensure speedy development of the constituency and take care of the interests of the local body representatives and other followers,” Mr. Ravikumar, who held a series of consultations with his followers over the last one week, said.

He is the second YSRC MLA to quit the party in Prakasam district.

Mr. Ravikumar defeated senior TDP leader Karnam Balarama Krishnamurthy in the 2009 elections and his son Karnam Venkatesh in the 2014 elections.

Mr. Ravikumar had been promised the TDP ticket either from Addanki or Martur, a constituency that would be formed before the next elections, a senior TDP leader said on condition of anonymity.

Incidentally, Mr. Ravikumar won from Martur on Congress ticket in 2004.

The YSR Congress won six out of 12 Assembly seats in the district and the TDP five.

However, the ruling party has been improving its strength in the last two years.

Though I was elected on Congress ticket in 2009, I was accepted into the YSRC before resigning as

Congress MLA

Gottipatti Ravikumar