Vijayawada: In a major political development, BJP leader Daggubati Purandeswari’s husband and AP political heavyweight Venkateswara Rao and son Hitesh Chenchu Ram met YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at his Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Mr Ram would be joining the YSRC formally and is likely to be fielded from the Parchur Assembly seat in Prakasam district. The meeting lasted for almost an hour, during which the YSRC chief reportedly assured a prominent place in the party and a bright future to Mr Ram.
It is learnt that Ms Purandeswari would continue in the BJP, and the decision of her son to join the YSRC has been conveyed to the BJP leadership. She was recently appointed BJP state manifesto committee chairperson.
The Daggubatis are known to be arch rivals of TD president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, their relative. The family was close to late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and Ms Purandeswari joined the Congress, became MP and Union Cabinet minister. She quit the Congress and joined the BJP before the 2014 polls, but lost from Rajampet. Active in the BJP, she has been the party mahila morcha national in-charge for some time.
“Both Venkateswara Rao and Purandeswari have always fought Naidu and so they can’t join the TD though the BJP has no future in AP after the Centre denied special status. YSRC and Jana Sena are the only two options left for Hitesh. The Daggubatis believe that the YSRC has a future,” said a YSRC leader.
Speaking to mediapersons later, he said that Ms Purandeswari would continue with the BJP. “If there are any objections she is ready to quit public life.”
He said that it was not easy to run a political party for eight years. “Jagan is a warm and receptive person, contrary to the image projected by his rivals. I believe the people will bless him,” Mr Rao said.
