Kakinada: Kondeti Chittibabu, YSRC sitting MLA from P. Gannavaram assembly constituency in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, has joined the Congress party in presence of APCC president Y.S. Sharmila at Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district on Saturday.
The APCC chief welcomed Chittibabu into the Congress by draping him with a shawl. He is likely to contest from P. Gannavaram assembly constituency as Congress candidate.
The development comes after the ruling YSRC leadership denied the party ticket to Chittibabu. It instead nominated zilla parishad chairman Vipparthi Venugopal as the YSRC candidate from P. Gannavaram.
At that time, Chittibabu had announced that he would abide by the decision of the YSRC leadership and work for the success of Venugopal.
However, justifying his decision to join the Congress, Chittibabu told Deccan Chronicle that he had been working for the people of P. Gannavaram for the past 13 years. In 2019, they elected him as the MLA of YSRC party. But ignoring his good work in the constituency, YSRC has bypassed him and given the ticket to Venugopal.
The sitting MLA said he has known Sharmila for the past 13 years and he had participated in her padayatra. He has joined the Congress as she is leading it in AP.
Chittibabu expressed confidence that Sharmila will revive the Congress party in Andhra Pradesh. He said he has taken the consent of his supporters and joined the Congress party at Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district on Saturday.
Incidentally, YSRC sitting MLA Vunnamatla Rakada Eliza of Chintalapudi assembly constituency in Eluru district has also joined the Congress party.
