Two-time BRS Boath MLA Rathod Bapu Rao has quit the party and also the Legislative Assembly, peeved over the denial of party ticket and has joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of Northeast Region and Telangana BJP president G. Kishan Reddy, Rajya Sabha MP K. Laxman and other senior leaders in New Delhi on Wednesday.
“I quit my job as a teacher to join the Telangana agitation and got elected twice with the blessings of my people after joining the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Unfortunately, I have been denied the ticket this time without being assigned any reason and all my efforts to meet the top leadership has been in vain,” he told the media.
Mr. Bapu Rao said he was also attracted to the BJP because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to develop the country and the importance he has been giving to the tribal people, including making Draupadi Murmu the President of India and recently announcing the setting up of the national tribal university at Mulug.
“We firmly believe that under the leadership of Mr. Modi, our Adilabad, which is the abode of tribals and filled with forests, will develop. It is my responsibility to ensure BJP candidate Soyam Babu Rao wins by a huge majority in this election as my cadre is with me. I am also requesting that the party consider my candidature for the Adilabad Parliamentary constituency,” he said.
Mr. Laxman welcomed the former MLA and claimed that he had joined voluntarily and unconditionally, tired of the corrupt family rule of the BRS. Mr. Kishan Reddy accused the BRS of denying tickets to tribals without a voice but giving tickets to Ministers and MLAs facing serious charges of “mafia” activities and corruption. He also warned the Telangana people to be wary of the Congress Party which has failed to implement the promises made, with farmers being denied adequate power supply and has been collecting ‘election tax’ robbery for funding the campaign in Telangana.
The party is not going to lose anything if any person quits as it is a cadre-based party. ”If someone leaves for personal reasons there is nothing we can do, as we have invited different people with an open mind,” said Mr. Reddy, when asked about former MP Vivek Venkataswamy resigning.
National General Secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar demanded that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) apologise to the farmers for the cracks and design flaws in the Kaleshwaram project before seeking their votes. “Why is KCR silent? The latest cracks to have surfaced are at Annaram Barrage. It is because he was more interested in commissions than ensuring quality work. The sabotage theory is only to hoodwink people during elections,” he added. Election campaign committee chairman Eatala Rajender was also present.
