Former MLA and TDP leader Eleti Annapoornamma and her son Mallikarjun Reddy along with their followers from several villages in Balkonda and Armoor Assembly constituencies joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Member of Parliament D. Arvind, former MLA Yendala Laxminarayana and party district president Palle Ganga Reddy, here on Sunday.
Among those who joined the BJP included G.V. Narsimha Reddy, TDP Armoor town president, Baddam Raja Reddy, former vice-president, Velpur MPP, its mandal TDP president N. Ashok, party district general secretary Gangadhar Goud and former sarpanches and MPTC members.
Annapoornamma, who inherited political leadership from her husband and former Minister late Mahipal Reddy, was elected MLA from Armoor in 1994 and 2009. In 2014 she sought party ticket for her and her son Mallikarjun Reddy, who is a cardiologist in a private hospital in Hyderabad. However, the party denied the ticket for her from Armoor and accommodated her son in Balkonda constituency where he was defeated by the incumbent Minister V. Prashanth Reddy, who incidentally is his cousin.
In 2018 the Congress tried to get her into its fold, but as the party could not offer the ticket she remained in TDP. BJP cadres in the two constituencies feel that her joining their party would be advantageous as she has a strong following. On the occasion, the BJP leaders said that in the State their party would only be the alternative to the ruling TRS in next Assembly elections and therefore many key leaders from different political parties have been looking forward to joining it.
