Telangana: Teenmar Mallanna to quit BJP & launch padayatra

HYDERABAD: Political activist Teenmar Mallanna has decided to quit the saffron party five months after he had joined it and go to the people as an independent candidate with his own agenda.

Mallanna, who made TRS and its candidate Palla Raheshwar Reddy sweat it out in Nalgonda-Warangal-Khammam graduates constituency election and pushed TJS founder-president M Kodandaram, BJP and Congress candidates to third, fourth and fifth spots respectively in the election held in March last year, had joined the BJP in December 2021.
Now, Mallanna plans to go on a state-wide padayatra from second week of June covering 12,000-km in the run up to the 2023-assembly elections. “Though I am announcing my decision to quit BJP now, I will formally resign from the party on the day 1 of my padayatra. I cannot pursue my walkathon while being in BJP,” Mallanna said.
Political analysts said his exit from the BJP may have an impact on poll prospects of the saffron party at least in the combined Nalgonda district. However, BJP state chief spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao said BJP is above and beyond individuals.
“We are a national party with a broader ideology. In Telangana, we have an agenda of good governance to ensure that voters pick BJP for a change. After two terms of misgovernance of TRS, any individual who wants to contribute to this cause is welcome to join BJP. But people who have a personal agenda and not a broad-based agenda for good governance will find their way out of the party. We let them go. It doesn’t impact the prospects of BJP,” he said.
Mallanna’s padayatra will start along with his team by offering prayers at Alampur Jogulamba temple in Jogulamba Gadwal district.
“I want to highlight on the issues of education, health, speedy justice and corruption during my padayatra. I don’t need to name any political party as people know that these sectors were neglected by whom in the last eight years,” he said.