In a scathing attack on YSRCP president and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the party’s Puthalapattu legislator M.S. Babu on January 2 (Tuesday) alleged that he was denied ticket to contest the ensuing Assembly elections citing the “baseless I-PAC survey.”
Addressing the media here, Mr. Babu, who represents the SC-Reserved constituency in the Legislative Assembly, said, “It is unfortunate and unjust to deny me ticket on the pretext of ‘bad survey report’ of the I-PAC.”
“Though Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been claiming for the last five years that he is committed to the welfare of the Dalits, there is, in fact, no justice for them in the party,” Mr. Babu alleged.
“Being a Dalit, I am disappointed with the decision taken by Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He should have told me what wrong I have committed before denying me the party ticket. Even before the Gadapa Gadapaku programme was conceived, I had taken the lead in undertaking a door-to-door campaign in the constituency,” he said.
“The political consultancy firm (I-PAC) gives favourable reports if it is given money,” he alleged.
Replying to a question, Mr. Babu said he would remain loyal to Forest Minister P. Ramachandra Reddy (who also hails from Chittoor district) as he considered him as a fatherly figure.
Mr. Babu denied any move to support or join the Congress party under the leadership of Y.S. Sharmila, or any other party.
Vijayananda Reddy to contest from Chittoor?
Meanwhile, supporters of APSRTC Vice-Chairman M. Vijayananda Reddy are in an upbeat mood, claiming that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy has cleared his name for the Chittoor Assembly constituency.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Vijayananda Reddy and Chittoor MLA A. Srinivasulu were summoned by the leadership to Vijayawada.
During the meeting, Mr. Srinivasulu was said to have been denied the ticket for the ensuing elections and directed to work for the victory of Mr. Vijayananda Reddy, who hails from the GD Nellore Assembly constituency. In the 2019 elections, he was said to have financially helped several YSRCP candidates in the district.
