VISAKHAPATNAM: Stung by the desertion of party urban president and Visakhapatnam South MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar, the TDP held a meeting with senior party leaders and functionaries to take stock of the situation. There is currently a vacuum in Vizag TDP as both urban and city presidents switched loyalties to the ruling party.
Though it is a big blow to the party ahead of corporation elections, TDP leaders put up a brave front.
Speaking at the meeting, former minister Ch Ayyanna Patrudu said even if some leaders left the party, its cadre is intact and maintained that they would strive to win the GVMC elections. He accused Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of playing mind games to divert attention from his failures.
“The YSRC leaders have no respect for courts. There is no financial discipline in the government. Jagan, who declared before the elections that the party will put pressure on the Centre, is now surrendered before Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he alleged.He also accused YSRC leaders of making “baseless” allegations of insider trading in Amaravati to target TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.
Former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy said Jagan, who had said he would not admit any MLA into his party unless he/she resigns, is now encouraging defections. He said TDP won four seats in Visakhapatnam because of the good work done by it after cyclone Hud Hud.
Though MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu attended the meeting, other two MLAs from Vizag— Ganta Srinivisa Rao and PVGR Naidu — were conspicuous by their absence. Vasupalli, along with his two sons, called on the Chief Minister on Saturday and extended his support to the YSRC government. His sons Saket and Surya joined the YSRC.