Vijayawada: Trouble continues to mount for the YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh. One by one, leaders who once held key posts are walking away. The latest to exit is Zakia Khanam, MLC and Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council, who resigned from both her position and the party.
Within hours of stepping down, Zakia Khanam formally joined the BJP. She visited the party’s state headquarters in Vijayawada, where BJP state chief D. Purandeswari welcomed her with the saffron stole. Speaking on the occasion, she praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring equal rights and empowering Muslim women.
A native of Rayachoti in Annamaiah district, Zakia Khanam had been nominated as MLC in July 2020 and was later appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Council by the then YSRCP government. But discontent had been simmering—she had distanced herself from the party over the past two years.
She had already met TDP leader Nara Lokesh along with her family recently, fuelling speculation of a shift. On Tuesday, she made it official.
With her resignation, the tally of MLCs quitting YSRCP this year alone has risen to six. Others who’ve stepped down include Jayamangala Venkataramana, Balli Kalyan Chakravarthy, Marri Rajasekhar, Karri Padmashri, and Pothula Sunitha.