Kurnool MP quits YSRCP, may join TDP

Amaravati, Jan 11: Andhra Pradesh’s ruling party YSR Congress received another jolt as sitting MP from Kurnool, S. Sanjeev Kumar resigned from the party. He is likely to join the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

The qualified general surgeon and urologist resigned both as MP and from the primary membership of YSRCP. This followed the party’s decision to change the constituency in-charge.

The MP, who remained low profile throughout his stint, alleged that there is no respect for backward classes in the party.

Sanjeev Kumar said he had only the position of the MP but no powers to address the problems of people who came to him. He said that the party did not pay attention to his dream projects for the development of the backward Kurnool district.

He went on to say that since the district is also vulnerable to drought conditions, he had sought measures to check farmer suicides and to arrest migration of workers but no action was taken. He added that his demand for development of a national highway from Kurnool to Bellary in neighbouring Karnataka was also ignored.

Sanjeev Kumar said that while the YSRCP claimed to have given 50 per cent posts to SCs, STs, BCs and minorities, there was no social justice.

Sanjeev Kumar is the latest leader to resign from the ruling party ahead of simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections slated to be held in April-May.

Earlier, cricketer Ambati Rayudu resigned from YSRCP. He quit the party 10 days after joining it.

Rayudu met Jana Sena Party leader and actor Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday. The cricketer later issued a statement saying that he resigned from YSRCP as their ideologies were not aligned. He claimed that he and Pawan Kalyan share the same ideologies and vision.