Vijayawada: Pothina Mahesh, TDP leaders join YSRCP

Vijayawada : Pothina Venkata Mahesh, who quit Jana Sena Party protesting against denial of Vijayawada West ticket, joined YSRCP in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Gantavaripalem in Palnadu district on Wednesday. Mahesh along with his followers met the CM during the election campaign and formally joined the YSRCP.

\Mahesh had spent nearly 10 years in Jana Sena and was the in-charge of Vijayawada Jana Sena Party and tried to strengthen the party in the city, particularly in West Assembly constituency.

He had fought for many months to get the ticket, but the seat was allotted to BJP as part of TDP, Jana Sena and BJP alliance following which the saffron party named former Union minister Sujana Chowdary as its candidate.

Upset over the development, Mahesh resigned from the party on Tuesday, accusing party chief Pawan Kalyan of betraying him and predicting fate of Praja Rajyam Party for the JSP. On joining YSRCP, he promised to defeat BJP candidate Sujana Chowdary in the West assembly constituency.

Political equations may change in West constituency with the joining of Mahesh in YSRCP. He belongs to Nagaralu caste and has good following among the community voters. Muslims, Arya Vysya, Nagaralu and Dalits constitute majority in the constituency.

YSRCP fielded Muslim candidate Shaik Asif. If Muslims, Nagaralu and Dalits vote for Shaik Asif, he will have more winning prospects. Kamma voters are very limited in West seat. Sujana Chowdary belongs to Kamma caste and opened the election office in Bhavanipuram and launched the campaign.

Meanwhile, Pamula Rajeswari Devi, a former MLA who contested as Jana Sena candidate unsuccessfully from P Gannavaram constituency in 2019 and R Ramesh Kumar Reddy, a former MLA from the TDP representing Rayachoti, joined the YSRCP in the presence of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy at Gantavaripalem in Palnadu district.

Mohan Reddy, former ZPTC from Lakkireddypalli, Umapathi Reddy, former MPP from Lakkireddypalli, K. Prabhakara Reddy, former marketing committee chairman, Shaik Hussain, former hospital committee chairman, TDP state secretary Oludasu Krishnamurthy, Divya Kumar Reddy and other TDP leaders also joined the YSR Congress.

Along with Rajeswari Devi, other Jana Sena leaders too joined the YSRCP. They include Pamula Prakash, Kandregula Ananthababu; Jana Sena district secretary Pothu Kashi; former DCCB director Bontu Jawaharlal; former MPTC G. Prabhuvarma, Y. Nagaraju, and Chilakapati Srinu.

Jana Sena Vijayawada town vice-President Venna Sivashankar, West division president Sheikh Amir Basha, P Srinivasa Rao, S. Ramugupta and other leaders also joined the YSRCP.