Kadapa, April 13: Several prominent leaders belonging to the district have changed parties at least once in their career.
YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who led the Congress to two straight victories in Assembly and Parliament elections had deserted the Congress at one time.
In the late seventies, Rajasekhara Reddy quit the Congress and joined Reddy Congress, a breakaway faction of the Congress and won the 1978 Assembly elections from Pulivendula. However, he later rejoined the Congress and remained a Congressman till his death.
His son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who started his political career with the Congress and won the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, resigned from the party and the Parliament following differences with the high command. He is contesting the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat on the YSR Congress Party, he has floated.
D Jyothi Reddy, zilla parishad chairperson belonging to the Congress, is originally from the Telugu Desam Party. Rumours are afloat that she may soon quit the Congress too.
Former minister R Rajagopal Reddy belonging to Lakkireddypalle started his political career with the Congress and contested the Assembly polls in 1962, but lost. In the subsequent elections in 1967 and 1972, he won. However, he joined Janata Party in 1978 and lost the election. In 1983 and 85, he contested on the TDP ticket and won. He rejoined the Congress in 1994 and lost the election. Later, he become politically inactive.
His son R Ramesh Reddy, who took up the mantle, contested on the Congress ticket and won, but lost in the subsequent election, which he had contested on the TDP ticket. Recently, he came under the Congress fold.
Rayachoti’s P Palakondarayudu started his political career with the Janata Party, but contested the 1983 election as an Independent and won the election and joined TDP. PRP top leader C Ramachandraiah, who is at present an MLC, has started his political career with the TDP. Kandula Sivananda Reddy, who started his career with the Congress in 1989 crossed floor to the TDP in 1994, when he was not given a ticket. He is the brother of K Rajamohan Reddy, who contested the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in 1996 and 1999 on the TDP ticket and lost. Recently both the brothers returned to the Congress fold.
There are several such leaders in the district, who have changed their parties once, twice and even thrice.
But the credit of changing parties most frequently goes to N Tulasi Reddy, the present 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee chairman.
Since 1983, when he started his political career with the TDP, Tulasi Reddy changed parties five times. When he was with the TDP, he become a ZP chairperson and Rajya Sabha member. After NT Rama Rao’s death, he joined the NTR TDP floated by Lakshmi Paravati and then to Nandamuri Harikrishna’s Anna TDP.
Later, he joined the BJP and from there to the Congress.
–Agencies