In a blow to the ruling YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh, its MLA from Mangalagiri constituency Alla Ramakrishna Reddy resigned from the Assembly and the party on Monday.
Ramakrishna Reddy, considered close to Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, submitted his resignation to the Speaker’s OSD as the former was not available in his office.
He told mediapersons that he submitted his resignation in Speaker’s format and also requested the latter to accept the resignation.
Ramakrishna Reddy said he would soon reveal the reasons for his resignation.
He is said to be unhappy over the appointment of Ganji Chiranjeevi as the YSRCP incharge for Mangalagiri constituency.
He was also hurt by the demands from a group within the party opposed to him not to give party ticket to him in the next year’s Assembly elections.
Popular as ARK, he had defeated Telugu Desam Party (TDP) general secretary Nara Lokesh in the 2019 elections from Managalgiri, which covers the Amaravati capital region.
He had also filed innumerable cases against the then TDP government with regard to Amaravati lands issue.
ARK said he had been active in the Congress party since the times of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s father Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
He said that although he did not get the Congress ticket in 2004 and 2009 elections, he remained loyal to YSR and the party.
Following the death of YSR when Jagan Mohan Reddy floated YSRCP, he joined the party at the invitation of the latter.
ARK thanked Jagan Mohan Reddy for giving him a chance to serve as MLA for two terms.