Kurnool: In a jolt to the BJP, its Alur Assembly election candidate Kotla Hari Chakrapani Reddy withdrew from the contest and is set to join the Telugu Desam (TD). At a meeting with his supporters at Laddagiri on Sunday, he took the decision not to contest against Telugu Desam candidate Kotla Sujatha at Alur.
Mr Chakrapani Reddy, a Kotla family member, had contested the 2014 elections on a YSRC ticket unsuccessfully against Mr K.E. Krishnamurthy of the Telugu Desam.
He got 55,067 votes against Mr Krishnamurthy and lost by 1,600 votes. It was rumoured that Mr Chakrapani Reddy had been persuaded to allow the victory of Mr Krishnamurthy.
Subsequently he joined the BJP and was given the Alur ticket.
He filed his nomination papers on March 22 but in a sudden switch said he was joining the Telugu Desam and not contesting as a BJP candidate at Alur.
