Konathala's meet with Pawan Kalyan creates buzz in political circles

Anakapalli: Political equations in Anakapalli are shifting drastically in recent days. Those, who are working with the ruling party or served earlier, are steadily joining Opposition parties, one after another. The recent leader adding to the list of switching loyalties was former Minister Konathala Ramakrishna.

Already, former YSRCP leaders Dadi Veerabhadra Rao and his sons had shifted allegiance. While the Opposition party is getting strong by increasing its army with senior leaders, the YSRCP brushed its sitting MP and MLA aside in the segment to make way for new leaders to assign them the responsibilities.

Much to everyone's surprise, former Minister Konathala Ramakrishna met Jana Sena Party chief K Pawan Kalyan in Hyderabad on Wednesday, probably to stitch an alliance.

Konathala Ramakrishna held talks with JSP chief Pawan Kalyan pertaining to State politics and overall political situation prevailing in north Andhra during the meet. Although the 'official' talks focused on political matters, Ramakrishna's followers, however, say that he would soon join the JSP.

According to his supporters, Ramakrishna told Pawan Kalyan that he would join the party by this month after setting a 'muhurat'. Rumours are rife that Ramakrishna is planning to contest as an MP from Anakapalli parliamentary constituency.

Konathala Ramakrishna, a senior leader in North Andhra, belongs to BC community. In 1989, he contested as an MP for Anakapalli Lok Sabha constituency and defeated P Appalanarasimham from the TDP by nine votes. He defeated the same candidate in 1991 and was elected to Lok Sabha.

Ramakrishna served as a Member of Parliament from Anakapalli from 1989 to 1996. From 1991 to 1996, he served as the convener of Andhra Pradesh Congress Members of Parliament. Later, he also served as a Minister for Commercial Taxes, Excise and Law in Dr Y Rajasekhara Reddy's cabinet from 2004 to 2009.

After the demise of Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, he joined YSRCP and worked as a chairman of political affairs committee. However, after 2014 elections, he resigned from YSRCP and stayed away from politics.

On behalf of Uttarandhra Forum, Ramakrishna and forum representatives are holding conferences and meetings, focusing on the problems of the region and mounting pressure on the government to resolve the same.

Earlier too, Konathala Ramakrishna participated in protests organised in North Andhra and Delhi, demanding establishment of a new railway zone in Visakhapatnam, to accord a package similar to Bundelkhand to the backward areas of North Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.

The former minister has filed a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in High Court, seeking special package to the backward regions and accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.