ONGOLE: Suspense over the crossing over of former minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy from the YSRC continues even as efforts are still on to retain him in the party, while Ongole Municipal Corporation politics revolves around the issue.
After two rounds of talks yielded no results, YSRC leaders Sathish Kumar Reddy of Kadapa and Vidadala Rajini of Guntur have reportedly met Balineni and held talks at his Hyderabad residence on Friday. They conveyed the message of the YSRC leadership to the former minister.
One OMC corporator, who is in Hyderabad, told TNIE, “We came to know that the two YSRC leaders conveyed the party high command’s message and requested Balineni to remain in the party. Our leader said he would reveal his future course of action in a couple of days. We will respect and follow the decision of our leader.”
Meanwhile, the TDP-led alliance took control of the OMC and the defected Mayor Gangada Sujatha conducted the council meeting with 22 members in attendance.
The YSRC members were absent. Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Ongole MLA Damacharla Janardhan Rao and Santhanuthalapadu MLA BN Vijay Kumar attended the council meeting as ex-officio members. The MP and MLAs extended their total support to the decisions taken by the OMC council pertaining to the development of Ongole city.