Two YSRCP MLAs quit: Vara Prasad joins BJP, Rakada Eliza Congress

Vijayawada: In a major blow to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) ahead of the State Assembly elections, two MLAs switched their loyalties from the party on Sunday.

V Vara Prasad from Gudur constituency joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Union minister Anurag Thakur and party national general secretary Vinod Davde in New Delhi.

The YSRCP leadership had denied a ticket to Vara Prasad in the upcoming elections and M Muralidhar was given a chance. Vara Prasad was elected as an MP from the Tirupati Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 elections and in the 2019 elections, he contested from the Gudur Assembly constituency and won as an MLA.

Speaking after joining the BJP, he said, “Narendra Modi is capable of leading the country towards development. I am very happy to work under his leadership. I thank the BJP leadership for giving him an opportunity to serve the people of Tirupati.” Political sources said that Vara Prasad was unhappy with the YSRCP leadership for denying a ticket to him. Vara Prasad is aspiring to contest as an MP from Tirupati as part of the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance.

MLA Eliza quits YSRCP, joins Congress

Another MLA Vunnamatla Rakada Eliza from the Chintalapudi constituency in the Eluru district quit the YSRCP. He joined the Congress in the presence of APCC president YS Sharmila at her residence in Lotus Pond, Hyderabad on Sunday. Eliza was denied a ticket by the YSRCP leadership and Kambam Vijayaraju was given a chance to contest from Chintalapudi in the upcoming State Assembly elections.

Eliza said, "I am unable to tolerate the local politics and humiliation in Chintalapudi constituency, that's why I resigned the YSRCP. Several programmes were conducted in the constituency without my knowledge. Though the issue was taken into the party leadership there was no response from them in this regard." He further said that the Congress is the real secular party in the country and it had no base for any religion and caste. "I will work hard in the Congress and it will definitely come into power in the state. Many dissident leaders in the YSRCP may join the Congress," he added.