Sending a strong message to the dissidents and those who are crossing the party line, YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has expelled an ex-MLA from Guntur district on grounds of indiscipline.
The suspended leader – Ravi Venkataramana has been associated with the party right from its inception and playing a very active role in the party activities in Guntur district.
Venkataramana, who was a Congress MLA from Prathipadu assembly constituency between 2004 and 2009, joined the YSRC soon after its formation.
He unsuccessfully contested from Ponnuru assembly constituency in 2014 on YSRCP ticket, losing to Dhulipala Narendra of the Telugu Desam Party.
However, Venkataramana could not get the party ticket in 2019 and it went to Kilaru Rosaiah, son-in-law of senior leader and MLC Ummareddy Venkateshwarlu. Rosaiah won the seat with an attractive majority.
Though Venkataramana was promised an MLC ticket, he did not get it, despite meeting Jagan several times. Since then, the ex-MLA has been running a rivalry with Rosaiah and maintaining a separate group within the YSRC.
In the recent past, there have been clashes between the two groups in the constituency over maintaining supremacy in the party. This was brought to the notice of Jagan, who tried to settle the dispute amicably.
Recently, one of Venkataramana’s followers was attacked in Ponnuru and he suspected that Rosaiah had a hand behind it. So, the ex-MLA group registered open protests by taking orot a rally and raising slogans against Rosaiah.
The MLA met party general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and said Venkataramana was creating troubles for him and though he did not have any role in the attack on the ex-MLA’s follower, he is being blamed for the same.
Based on the complaint, it was referred to the party’s disciplinary committee. After going through both the versions, Jagan decided to sack Venkataramana from the party.
It remains to be seen what follow-up action Venkataramana will take now.
