YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLAs on Friday slammed Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for fielding Dalit leader Varla Ramaiah in the Rajya Sabha elections despite knowing that there is no chance of his winning.
The YSRCP criticised TDP that the opposition party made the Dalit leader scapegoat. They accused the TDP of playing caste politics. They asked why Varla Ramaiah was not made Rajya Sabha MP when TDP was in power and had adequate numbers to win the poll.
They recalled that TDP had offered Rajya Sabha ticket to Varla Ramaiah but changed the candidate in March 2018. The YSRCP leaders alleged that then TDP had given the ticket to Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar, as he belongs to the same caste of TDP leadership.
TDP defended its move of fielding Varla Ramaiah in Rajya Sabha poll fray. TDP MLAs said that they are using their democratic right. TDP denied the allegations of making Varla Ramaiah a scapegoat. Party senior leader Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdary said that Varla was given chances in the last Assembly elections, and he was made Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Commission (APSRTC) chairman.
Another TDP MLA Vasupalli Ganesh raised an interesting point. He said that there is much dissent in the ruling party. He said that YSRCP is afraid of cross-voting and it is evident by the whip the ruling party issued to its MLAs.
( With inputs from ANI )