Manugodu bypoll: Jolt to BJP in Telangana, Dasoju Sravan quits alleging money distribution

In a jolt to the BJP in Telangana, senior leader Dasoju Sravan on Friday quit the party in protest against the distribution of money, meat and liquor among voters in Munugode Assembly constituency.

His resignation came less than three months after he quit the Congress party and joined the saffron party. Sravan, a former national spokesman of Congress party, is likely to join Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) later in the day.

In a letter to BJP's Telangana unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Sravan conveyed his decision to resign from primary membership of the party. He alleged that the BJP is distributing money, meat and liquor among voters in Munugode Assembly constituency, where by-election is scheduled on November 3.

Sravan wrote that he had joined the BJP with the least expectations but was disappointed over the directionless politics pursued by the party. He said BJP promised to do alternative politics but its approach in the Munugode by-election was disgusting.

He alleged that BJP with no social responsibility was resorting to distribution of money bags, encouraging big contractors and pursuing investment politics. "In such a situation it has become evident that there is no room for a leader like me coming from a weaker section of the society," he said.

It was on August 5 that Sravan had resigned from the Congress party. Alleging that there is total disorder in the party under the leadership of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy, he had said that he was not ready to live like a slave in the organisation and hence decided to resign.

He recalled that he joined the Congress party in 2014 as out of gratitude to Sonia Gandhi for carving out Telangana state and after being impressed by Rahul Gandhi's speech at Jaipur chintan shivir.

Sravan said he strived hard to reach the position of party's national spokesperson. He alleged that after Revant Reddy became PCC president, the party started giving priority to leaders on the basis of caste and money power.

He later joined the BJP at a programme in New Delhi in the presence of BJP general secretary in-charge of Telangana Tarun Chugh. He had claimed that only BJP can provide an alternative to the TRS.

(With inputs from IANS)