Jittery Jagan cajoles his MLAs

Hyderabad: Faced with the possibility of more migrations from YSRCP to TDP, the party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Friday convened a meeting of legislators from Prakasam, Guntur and Kadapa districts to probe into the reasons for desertions from the party.

The first round of meeting that was held at his Lotus Pond residence was said to be a soul searching attempt by Jagan. According to party sources, Jagan wanted the them to explain why some of the important MLAs like Bhuma Nagi Reddy had quit.

This meeting assumes importance since speculations are rife that M V Mysura Reddy who is considered to be among the party think tank was also likely to quit YSRCP and join TDP by March first week. Jagan who wants to contain further desertions, wanted to know as to what exactly the leaders were unhappy about. It is said that he tried to infuse confidence among them that only YSRCP had a bright future and none of them should get panicky over the “machinations of TDP which was indulging in mind game.”

Jagan tried to explain that the popularity of TDP was taking a nose dive and hence it had adopted an aggressive posture to lure YSRCP MLAs. Party insiders said that the MLAs had told Jagan that they were all groping in darkness as they did not know how to take on the TDP and expose the failures of the government.

They felt that Jagan was not easily accessible and there was lot of confusion among the party rank and file on how to fight the TDP. Sources said they told Jagan that leaders like Bhuma Nagi Reddy were unhappy with his autocratic style of functioning. The YSRCP president according to an MLA told them that he would be more liberal and would be more accessible here on.

He said, all MLAs and important leaders can meet him directly and discuss issues pertaining to party. While promising that he would ensure team work, he told the party leaders to work out strategies to put the government in the dock over various issues. He told them to take up awareness campaigns in every constituency and make the presence of YSRCP felt everywhere by exposing the government’s failures during last two years.

He told them to involve party workers from village to constituency level and asked them not to fall prey to allurements by TDP which was a sinking ship. The TDP leaders will come to YSRCP in about a year’s time, he reportedly told them

What is interesting is that Jagan held the second round of meeting in the premises of CBI court in Nampally with MLAs from Prakasam district. Jagan had to be present in court in connection with the hearing of ongoing cases against him. Later, YSRCP MLA David Raju said he too was contacted by the TDP leaders and stated that he would not quit the party.

It is also learnt that Jagan has decided to meet the Speaker of the AP State Assembly on Monday to seek disqualification of five MLAs who had switched over to TDP. MLAs like Balineni Srinivas Reddy and Kona Raghupati also told Jagan that they would not cross over to TDP.

In the meantime, TDP sources said that party AP unit president Kimidi Kala Venkata Rao held extensive negotiations with three MLAs of the YSRCP from North coastal Andhra who are ready to cross over.