Mushrooming flexis suggest Lagadapati political re-entry

Vijayawada: The city was abuzz with a couple of flexis appearing in Gandhi Nagar area of the city on Tuesday appealing to former MP Lagadapati Rajagopal to return to active politics. The flexies bearing the name of Diddukuri Siva, a member of the city Congress, were put up at several places in Gandhi Nagar area, greeting the former MP on his birthday and requesting him to come back to active politics.

Rajagopal, who was an active player in the Samaikyandhra agitation against bifurcation of the State, vowed to quit politics if the State was bifurcated. He continued to argue against bifurcation and claimed that bifurcation was not possible constitutionally and challenged that he would take political sanyas if the State was bifurcated.

However, the State was bifurcated and standing by his statement, Rajagopal had quit politics. It is more than two years that Rajagopal, along with his associates Sabbam Hari, GV Harsha Kumar and Undavalli Arunkumar, have been politically inactive. None of them were active after the State’s bifurcation, while Sabbam Hari and Harsha Kumar sailed with former Chief Minister N Kirankumar Reddy in the last elections. Following the humiliating defeat in the 2014 elections, even Kirankumar Reddy went into political exile.

While there is not much demand for the political re-entry of these leaders in the State, the supporters of Lagadapati Rajagopal have been making demands for their leader’s return. Even on his last birthday too, his supporters in the city have put up flexis requesting him to come back and take active part in politics. This year too, they have made the attempt to please their leader to come back, but removed flexis in less than two hours. Meanwhile, rumours are doing rounds that the former MP is set to join the ruling BJP.