Peeved over being denied ticket, YSRCP MLA joins Congress

Vijayawada: An MLA of Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress joined the Congress on Tuesday.

Toguru Arthur, who represents the Nandikotkuru constituency in Kurnool district, quit the YSRCP and joined Congress after he was denied a party ticket this time.

State Congress chief Y.S. Sharmila Reddy welcomed him into the party.

Arthur, a commandant rank official with the Andhra Pradesh Police and chief marshal in the Assembly of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh from 2009 to 2011, is one of the several leaders who have quit the ruling YSRCP after being denied renomination. The Congress is likely to field him from the same constituency in the May 13 elections.

In the 2019 elections, Arthur was elected from Nandikotkuru, defeating his nearest rival Bandi Jayaraju of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) by over 40,000 votes. This time, the YSRCP denied a ticket to Arthur and instead fielded Dr Sudheer Dara.

Simultaneous elections to the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly and all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state are scheduled to be held on May 13.