Vijayawada: In a major jolt to Telugu Desam, the opposition party’s senior leader and former MLA Jayamangala Venkata Ramana joined ruling YSR Congress Party on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at the CM’s Camp office in Tadepalli. Along with Venkata Ramana, TD farmers’ wing state leader S Gurraju also joined the YSRC.
Civil supplies minister Karumuri Venkata Nageswara Rao and Kaikaluru YSRC MLA Dulam Nageswara Rao were present at the CM’s camp office when the two leaders joined the YSRC.
There had been news over the past few days that Venkata Ramana will join the YSRC, more so last Monday. But it did not materialise.
Sources said Venkata Ramana, TD in-charge of Kaikaluru, had been unhappy with Telugu Desam high command over efforts being made to remove him from the post. On coming to know of this, minister Nageswara Rao encouraged Venkata Ramana to move over to YSRC.
As is known, posts of 14 MLCs are going to fall vacant. It is said Jagan Mohan Reddy has offered one of these posts to Venkata Ramana.
Venkata Ramana had entered politics by joining Telugu Desam in 1999. In 2005, he got elected as member of Kaikaluru ZPTC. He became an MLA for the first time after winning from Kaikaluru constituency on the TD ticket in 2009.
Venkata Ramana has a good hold in Kaikaluru region. His moving to ruling YSRC is expected to have a huge impact on opposition TDP in the area.
