Stage set for migrations from YSRCP

Kakinada: Political heat in East Godavari district has picked up the momentum. Five MLAs from the YSRCP, including the party deputy floor leader Jyothula Nehru, have given clear indications that they are set to join the TDP. Nehru and V Subba Rao have been holding meetings with their followers since Saturday and have taken a final decision to cross over to the ruling party.

On the other hand, TDP national secretary Nara Lokesh held a coordination meeting with leaders from East Godavari at NTR Trust Bhavan in Hyderabad on Sunday and reviewed the situation. According to G Butchaiah Chowdary, Lokesh discussed political equations in the district and sought local leaders’ opinion on the issue of admitting YSRCP leaders like Jyothula Nehru into the party.

He said all of them had agreed for the entry of the five YSRCP MLAs from East Godavari. Chowdary further said that many more were contemplating to join the TDP and party leadership was in touch with them. The meeting was aimed at taking measures to strengthen the party in all the districts, he added.

Asked about YSRCP MLAs joining the TDP, he said, those MLAs are of the opinion that their leader would never change and that they have no future in that party and hence they are looking towards the TDP. Taken aback by this development, the YSRCP made a vain attempt to convince the MLAs from East Godavari not to quit the party.

When the party leadership came to know that Jyothula Nehru and Prathipadu MLA V Subba Rao were holding meetings with their followers to discuss the issue of joining the TDP, party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy had sent the East Godavari district in charge Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy to Kakinada to negotiate.

Chevireddy met Subba Rao and tried to convince him not to quit the party but did not succeed in his attempts. He later tried to meet Nehru at Kakinada but as Nehru had gone to Iripaka village, Reddy went there and met him. He even offered to make him talk to Jagan on phone but Nehru told Reddy that he has nothing to talk to him and if he has to explain anything, he would directly talk to Jagan.

Prior to this, Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar, a close confident of Jagan, has also made an attempt to meet Nehru but in vain. Meanwhile, hectic activity is seen in Iripaka village as Mandal presidents, ZPTCs and several sarpanches attended the meeting held by Nehru and told him that they would stand by him in whatever decision he takes.

Nehru told them that he had taken note of their feelings that it would be better to jump over to the TDP for development of the constituency and he would go by their views. Following the footsteps of Nehru, Rampachodavarm MLA V Rajeswari is understood to have made it clear that she would also join the TDP along with Nehru.

Kothapeta MLA Chirla Jagga Reddy is also said to be among those who is willing to go with Nehru. However, on record he has been denying any such move. The only MLA who is still not decided is Dadisetty Raja who represents the Tuni constituency.

It is understood that some leaders in the TDP are against his entry. The TDP leadership in Hyderabad feels that accommodating these leaders will not be a problem in the next Assembly elections as the number of Assembly seats would go up soon and new constituencies would be created.

By Adapa Apparao/L Anjaneyulu