Rayadurgam MLA Kapu Ramachandra Reddy on Friday announced his resignation from the YSR Congress Party, citing the reasons that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy “betrayed” him, by denying the party ticket.
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Speaking to the media here, Mr Ramchandra Reddy said that though he had tried several times to meet Mr. Jagan, he was denied an opportunity. Terming Mr. Jagan as “cut-throat”, the MLA said that he would be contesting from Rayadurgam as an independent, and field his spouse from the Kalyanadurgam Assembly Constituency in the next elections.
Mr. Ramachandra Reddy, who is a non-Reddy, belongs to the dominant Boya community in the region bordering Karnataka. Known as a confident Karnataka-based leader and Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy, he is a close relative of former Karnataka Minister B. Sriramulu in Karnataka. From being an employee with the iron ore mines of the Gali family, Mr. Ramachandra Reddy joined the Congress with the backing of Gali Janardhan Reddy and won as the Rayadurgam MLA as Congress candidate in 2009, and losing to the TDP in 2014.
The MLA also served as the first district president of the YSRCP for the divided Anantapur from its formation till six months ago. Mr. Ramachandra Reddy is also a staunch rival to Kalva Srinivasulu, former Rayadurgam MLA and the TDP district president and politburo member.
With dropping the name of Mr Ramachandra Reddy, the YSRCP leadership is considering the candidature of former MLA Mettu Govinda Reddy for Rayadurgam.