At a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to step up its activity in Assembly constituencies and is scouting for candidates with a mass base for the coming elections, it has suffered a setback with its leader from Vikarabad and former Minister A. Chandrasekhar quitting the party and announcing his decision to return to the Congress.
Speaking to media persons here on Sunday, he stated that he had sent his resignation to party membership to State BJP president and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy. In the resignation letter, he alleged that the BJP leadership was not encouraging those who were working for the party’s growth and the government at the Centre had failed to stop injustices of Telangana government in spite of knowing everything.
He pointed out that several leaders, who had worked for the movement for statehood to Telangana, had joined the BJP with a hope that the Centre would stop the State government’s injustices and irregularities. But, such leaders were left highly disappointed. Instead, the BJP government at the Centre was helping the State government indirectly. He observed that it was an indication that BJP and BRS are in a tacit understanding.
The former Minister also said that the change of Bandi Sanjay from the party’s State stewardship just a few months before the Assembly elections was unfathomable and he was highly disappointed with it and had made up his mind in the inevitable circumstances.
Mr. Chandrasekhar is a five-time MLA from Vikarabad from 1985 to 2009. He won on Telugu Desam Party (TPD) ticket four times and was a Minister in the Chandrababu Naidu Cabinet in combined Andhra Pradesh and won once on the Telangana Rasthra Samithi (TRS) ticket.
He joined TRS before the 2004 Assembly elections and won that election in an alliance with the Congress but lost the 2009 election in alliance with TDP. He joined Congress in August 2013 and shifted to BJP in January 2021. He is likely to join the Congress in New Delhi on August 18.
Revanth meets Chandrashekhar
Telangana Congress president A. Revanth Reddy met him at his residence on Sunday and invited him to join the Congress. He was accompanied by former Minister Prasad Rao and former MLA Rammohan Reddy. Later, Mr. Reddy said Dr. Chandrashekhar played his role in the Telangana movement and his service would be recognised. Dr. Chandrashekhar wanted the Congress party to ensure that the rights over lands given to Scheduled Castes be restored and the party assures that assigned lands that were taken away by the government would be taken back.
Mr. Reddy said the Congress is planning a public meeting with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and a declaration for the poor would be unveiled there. Dr. Chandrashekhar is likely to join the party in the presence of Mr. Kharge.
