Andhra Pradesh’s ruling party YSR Congress Party received another jolt as the sitting MP from Kurnool, Dr S Sanjeev Kumar, resigned from the party on Wednesday, January 10. He is now likely to join the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The qualified general surgeon and urologist resigned both as a Member of Parliament and from the primary membership of YSRCP. While this followed the party’s decision to change the constituency in-charge, Sanjeev Kumar told the media that he was unsatisfied with his performance as an MP as there was not enough support system within the party to do the job effectively. The MP, who remained low profile throughout his stint, also alleged that the party only claims to prioritise BC welfare but doesn’t act on it.
“I couldn’t do even 10% of what I wanted to do as an MP because there was no support system,” he said, adding that he had tried to get an appointment with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to inform him of the decision many times, but was unable to meet him.
Sanjeev Kumar, a Backward Class leader, said he had only the position of the MP but no powers to address the problems of the 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. Dr Sanjeev Kumar, who heads a hospital in Kurnool, hails from the Padmashali community, which has a sizeable population in Aluru, Adoni and Yemmiganur Assembly segments falling under Kurnool constituency.
Sanjeev Kumar went on to say that since the district is also vulnerable to drought conditions, he had sought measures to check farmer suicides and to address the distress migration of workers but no action was taken. He added that his demand for the 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% of 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, January 10. 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.
With IANS inputs