BRS shows Jupally Krishna Rao and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy the door after anti- K Chandrasekhar Rao rant at Kothagudem meet

HYDERABAD: The ruling BRS on Monday suspended former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and former minister Jupally Krishna Rao from the party for alleged anti-party activities.
Srinivas Reddy, who held an 'Athmeeya Sammelanam' (get-together) with his supporters at Kothagudem on Sunday, alleged family rule by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. He also claimed that the latter's wish to score a hat-trick by winning Assembly elections to be held later this year would remain a pipe dream. Krishna Rao attended the meeting organised by the former MP and expressed solidarity.

BRS cracked the whip on both the senior functionaries, whose relations with the party leadership soured for some time now.
Krishna Rao holds sway in erstwhile Mahabubnagar district and was industry and panchayat raj minister in Telangana's first cabinet between 2014 and 2018. Ponguleti served as Khammam MP from 2014-19.
Though there is a buzz in political circles that the suspended leaders will float a new party, Telangana Rajya Samithi (TRS), Krishna Rao told TOI that there was no such proposal.
The suspended former minister Jupally said he would take a decision on his future course of action only after consulting his followers in Kollapur constituency from where he lost in 2018 elections to Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy of Congress. Harshavardhan later joined BRS.
Harshavardhan was one of the four BRS MLAs, who were allegedly lured by Ramachandra Bharathi and two other accused in the Poachgate case.
Seeking to know on what grounds was he suspended from the party, Jupally Krishna Rao said: "I was not given the party membership in the last three years. The party should have clarified first if I am a member of the party or not. There is no transparency, neither in the party nor in the government. KCR is running the government as if he owns the state."
He said he gave up ministership and MLA post during Telangana statehood movement and undertook padayatras in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district. "People who fought for Telangana statehood have been sidelined," the former minister asked. Krishna Rao, who has been at loggerheads with Harshavardhan, even fielded his followers in Kollapur municipal elections against official BRS nominees. The ex-minister has also skipped the party plenary held April last year.
Ponguleti, who won on YSRCP ticket and later joined BRS, also ridiculed the party decision. "When the party Khammam district president says I am not a member of the party, how can I be suspended from the organisation. I thank the party leadership for taking the decision now," he said.
The former MP has already raised the banner of revolt against the leadership and did not attend the party meeting held in Khammam a couple of months ago. Ponguleti has been ill at ease with the leadership ever since he was denied party ticket in 2019 Lok Sabha election. BRS (then TRS) fielded Nama Nageswara Rao from Khammam in 2014 elections. The ex-MP also does not share good relations with party district leaders, especially transport minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar.
Srinivas Reddy met BJP top leaders a couple of months ago and there were strong rumours that he would join the saffron party.
Meanwhile, agriculture minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy said no one is above the party and BRS will never succumb to 'blackmail politics'. He said both leaders enjoyed top posts and started making baseless allegations against the party and KCR only after they were denied 'expected posts'.