Ponguleti follower may join BRS party

Bhadrachalam: A senior tribal leader and noted doctor in the temple town Bhadrachalam Dr Tellam Venka Rao may be back in BRS party. Rao worked as BRS state secretary and contested in 2018 election as the candidate. He was defeated by the sitting Congress MLA Podem Veeraiah. Then, he waited for any nominated post from the government, but in vain.

DrRao is a loyalist of former MP Congress leader Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. He joined along with him in Congress party in the presence of AICC leader Rahul Gandhi at a recent massive public meeting in Khammam.

Dr Rao is said to be eyeing Bhadrachalam Assembly ticket from the Ponguleti side. Recently, along with his sister Dummugudem ZPTC member Tellam Seethamma, many representatives of local organizations and BRS leaders also joined the Congress in the presence of Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy.

But realizing that the Congress may not prefer him to the sitting MLA Podem Veeraiah who is also DCC president and PCC senior vice-president, Tellam Venkat Rao is reportedly toying with the idea of returning to BRS if it offers him the ticket. He has been holding a number of meetings with followers in Cherla and Dummagudem and sounding them on his decision to Join BRS.

Rao first contested from Mahabubabad Lok Sabha seat as a YCP candidate in 2014, but he was defeated. Later, he joined BRS and contested from Bhadrachalam in the 2018 elections and lost against the current Congress MLA Podem Veeraiah.

Venkat Rao has good ties with BRS chief KCR and Ministers KTR, Harish Rao and Puvvada Ajay Kumar. Venka Rao. It is also learnt that if no party gives him ticket, he will quit politics and continue his medical career. Rumours are floating that he is likely to join BRS on Thursday in the presence of KCR and Harish Rao at Pragathi Bhavan. It will be a huge loss to Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.