Though YSRC president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been in prison for the last one year, he continues to create tremors on the political landscape of the state.
The fledgling party is giving sleepless nights to the Congress as well as the TDP by drawing their leaders into its fold. As many as 9 MLAs each from the Congress and the TDP switched loyalties to YSRC during the recent voting on the no-trust motion against the state government.
Though Jagan has been behind the bars, some politicos of Congress and TDP are keen on boarding his ship thinking that YSRC would sweep the ensuing polls. The recent entry of TDP senior leader Dadi Veerabhadra Rao into the YSRC is a case in point. Besides, the kin of some top leaders in Congress and TDP are already playing an active role in YSRC, while more are waiting to join the party.
For instance, Kasu Mahesh Reddy and Pinepe Krishna, sons of ministers Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy and Pinepe Viswaroop respectively, are sweating it out to strengthen the YSRC. Finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy’s brother Jayakumar Reddy is all set to join the YSRC, despite his brother’s virulent attack against Jagan. TDP senior MLA Devineni Umamaheswar Rao’s brother Chandrasekhar too shifted loyalty to Jagan’s party recently.
Prolonged Imprisonment: On the flip side, Jagan’s prolonged imprisonment seems to be lowering the morale of YSRC cadre with each passing day.
Party leaders worry that if their boss continues to languish in the prison for some more months, the internal squabbles among party leaders might grow further and affect the electoral fortunes of the party in the next general elections.
Some seniors apprehend that Jagan’s absence might be a setback for gearing up leaders and cadre for the ensuing local body and general elections.
Their thinking is that as Jagan could not look after the party affairs directly, leaders aspiring for party nomination for the 2014 polls might indulge in infighting, harming the electoral prospects of the party.