YSRC's Gudur MLA Joins BJP

Tirupati: Former IAS officer and YSRC party's Gudur legislator V. Varaprasad Rao joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday. The formal induction took place in the presence of Union Minister Anurag Thakur and BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde.

Varaprasad Rao, who had previously served as an MP from Tirupati, expressed deep dissatisfaction with the YSRC after the party nominated Meruga Murali as its official candidate for the Gudur Assembly segment. Consequently, he tendered his resignation from the YSRC and decided to join the saffron brigade.

While the BJP may not field Rao from his sitting Gudur seat, reports suggest that he has requested the party's high command to consider giving him an opportunity to contest as an MP from Tirupati, from where he had won in the 2014 elections. However, the BJP has not yet provided any assurance regarding the same, sources said.

During the joining ceremony, Varaprasad Rao lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as the most dynamic politician he had witnessed. He expressed admiration for the development initiatives undertaken by the Modi government, stating that the BJP’s policies and PM’s dynamism had attracted him to join the saffron party.

Notably, prior to joining the BJP, Varaprasad Rao had also explored the possibility of joining the Jana Sena led by Pawan Kalyan after being denied a YSRC ticket from Gudur. However, with no clear assurance from the Jana Sena, he ultimately decided to take refuge in the BJP.