Tellam Venkat Plans Return to BRS, As Ruling Party Offers Ticket from Bhadrachalam

KHAMMAM: Politics is changing fast in this region in the run-up to the assembly polls. Defeated BRS MLA Tellam Venkata Rao, who recently joined the Congress along with Ponguleti Srinivas, is planning a return to the BRS as he is not sure of getting a ticket from the Congress for the Bhadrachalam seat.

The seat is currently occupied by senior Congressman Podem Veeraiah. Rao claimed that he joined the Congress along with Srinivas though the Bhadrachalam seat was “reserved” for him in the BRS.

The BRS high command is in touch with Venkata Rao and it reportedly offered an MLA ticket for him from Bhandrachalam if returned to the party.,Rao said he would soon announce his decision on a return to the BRS. “My supporters are mounting pressure on me to make a decision,” he said.

Rao said if the Congress wants, it can accommodate him by shifting Podem Veeraiah to Mulugu. “I have a strong base in Bhadrachalam and won't contest from any other constituency,” he asserted.

In the last elections, Veeraiah shifted to Bhadrachalam from Mulugu to contest the elections so as to enable the party to accommodate Seethakka there.

Venkata Rao said he had a discussion over the Bhadrachalam ticket with Ponguleti Srinivas. Reddy asked him to wait for some more time to get clarity on the issue. He said there was no meaning in waiting as no assurance came to him from the Congress party while the BRS offered him the Bhadrachalam seat.