Malkajgiri MP says he won’t rejoin BRS after “humiliating exit”
HYDERABAD: BJP MP from Malkajgiri, Etala Rajender, said competition and differences among leaders are common across political parties and strongly condemned a false poster campaign by rivals claiming he was switching parties.
Speaking to newsmen, Etala noted that it has been five years since he was ousted from the BRS and clarified that switching parties is not as simple as changing attire. “Many BRS leaders remain close to me and hold me dear, as I served alongside them for 25 long years. Yet, I was tortured, and assets I purchased legally were seized from me,” he said.
Etala claimed that former chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy invited him to join the YSRC and offered a ministerial berth. He pointed out that he could have become Deputy Chief Minister or a minister had he heeded leaders such as Rajagopala Reddy, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Jupally Krishna Rao and Vivek Venkatswamy.
Stating that he believes in people over social media, Etala said he fully abides by party instructions and did not campaign in Huzurabad. “The party stipulated it would not contest within my constituency limits. Earlier, when I represented Huzurabad, my party never lost a municipal chairperson or ZPTC seat,” he added.
Charging that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy won on false promises and propaganda, Etala said the government continues to rule on deception. “He vowed to prosecute BRS leaders for looting during their tenure, yet no action has been taken. Even crores worth of government land is falling into encroachers’ hands, but the government turns a blind eye,” he said.
