BRS Suspends Two Leaders For Anti-Party Activities

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday suspended former minister Jupally Krishna Rao and former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy from the party for indulging in anti-party activities.

This decision was taken as per the instructions of party president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

At a meeting in Kothagudem on Sunday, both Rao and Reddy had come down heavily on Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for "suppressing democratic voices", and alleged that the BRS government was not working as per the aspirations of the Telangana people.

They alleged that those who had fought for a separate Telangana State were sidelined and being neglected by the KCR government.

Jupally Krishna Rao was a minister in the Congress government of combined Andhra Pradesh. He joined the then-TRS in 2011, and was elected as an MLA from Kollapur in 2014. However, in the 2018 elections, Rao tasted defeat in the hands of Congress candidate Harshavardhan Reddy. Reddy joined the TRS after winning. And from then onwards there have been internal conflicts between Jupally and Reddy, and in recent times they have turned worse.

With the BRS leadership giving importance to the incumbent MLA, Rao has been staying away from party activities for some time now.

Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Khammam on a YSR Congress Party ticket in 2014, later joined the then-TRS. Despite being denied a ticket to contest either for a Lok Sabha or for an Assembly seat, Ponguleti has been continuing in the BRS. However, of late, Ponguleti has reportedly been feeling that the party leadership had sidelined him and was not giving importance to him.

Moreover, Ponguleti's relations with Khammam's BRS leaders, including minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, MP Nama Nageshwar Rao and former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, are also reportedly strained due to various reasons.

After prolonged unhappiness, he finally raised a banner of revolt against the party leadership, and has been organising Aathmeeya Sammelanam programs in Khammam district for some time in a bid to garner the support of the people.