Senior YSRCP legislator from Ongole Balineni Srinivasa Reddy admits to have ‘taken money as Minister’

Former Andhra Pradesh Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy has revealed that he had taken money when he was a Minister.

The ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) legislator from Ongole admitted this at a meeting held here late on December 9 (Saturday).

“I have not taken money in Ongole. But I did so elsewhere in the State when I was a Minister. It will be difficult to survive in present-day politics without taking money,” Mr. Srinivasa Reddy said.

The six-time MLA had been a Minister in the residuary Andhra Pradesh, as also in the undivided State, handling key portfolios of Mines, Energy, Handloom and Textiles, and Environment and Forests.

He said, ‘‘I feel terribly irritated with the present-day politics as my detractors resort to slinging mud against me and my family members.”

“I am undecided whether to allow my son Praneeth Reddy to be in politics in such a situation,” said Mr. Srinivasa Reddy, who had been feeling slighted ever since he was dropped from the Cabinet midway through the current term of the YSRCP government and resigned as regional coordinator of Prakasam, Bapatla, Nellore, Tirupati and Kadapa districts.

He denied as rumours that he was planning to contest from Giddalur in the 2024 Assembly elections.

‘‘If I contest, I will do so only from Ongole, provided my followers work wholeheartedly, as the Opposition will leave no stone unturned to win the battle this time,” he said. He was, however, upset with the YSRCP second rung leaders, including corporators in the civic body, for not verifying the voters’ list properly at the grassroots level.

Mr. Srinivasa Reddy also said that he had predicted the Congress party’s win in the recent Assembly elections in Telangana and even put high stakes in betting. He, however, withdrew from betting in order to not put his son to embarrassment as he was backed the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) and campaigning for it there.