AP Budget Session: YSRCP rebel MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy stages placard protest

AMARAVATI: YSRCP rebel MLA from Nellore Rural Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy on Wednesday took out a padayatra (footmarch) up to the Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly. Holding a placard, he began his footmarch from the Assembly fire station area.

Sridhar Reddy, who had already announced his intentions to align with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), displayed the placard demanding solution to several pending civic issues in his Nellore Rural Assembly constituency.

Sridhar Reddy recently severed his ties with the YSRCP, prompting the party leadership to announce Nellore MP Adala Prabhakar Reddy as the party incharge for Nellore Rural Assembly constituency. Sridhar Reddy, who was peeved with the party leadership for ignoring him during the recent cabinet reshuffle, even accused the YS Jaganmohan Reddy Government of tapping his phone after an audio clip of his phone conversation was leaked and became viral on social media.

While the TDP is extending all its support for Sridhar Reddy’s placard protest, he drew flak from the treasury benches in the Assembly, especially Irrigation Minister Ambati Rambabu. The Minister alleged that Sridhar Reddy came to the House only with the intention of stalling the proceedings. Wondering why the TDP had developed this sudden love for the Nellore Rural MLA, he called the rebel MLA a ‘betrayer’ and accused him of covertly working for the TDP at the behest of Chandrababu Naidu.

“Sridhar Reddy has joined hands with the TDP. He is agitating purely with a mala fide intention to defame the government. As a man with no moral values, he is speaking in a manner to appease Chandrababu Naidu. Those who betray the party will be decimated in due course of time,” Rambabu commented.

Minister for Finance and Legislative Affairs Buggana Rajendranath Reddy too admonished Sridhar Reddy for behaving in violation of the Assembly rules and traditions. Stating that there was no scope for personal issues in the House, he said, “If there are any grievances on civic issues, the ministers and officials should be approached with representations for their resolution. Sridhar Reddy should not misuse the Assembly and learn to raise issues on appropriate forums,” Buggana said.

Interestingly, earlier in the day, the TDP members also took out a rally holding placards before the start of the Day-2 of the Assembly session. The TDP members accused the YSRCP government of rendering irrigation projects useless with its laxity in executing them.