VIJAYAWADA: On a day when Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu sat on a 12-hour deeksha in Vijayawada over sand scarcity, the TDP received a jolt with two of its leaders from Krishna district quitting party and joining the ruling YSRC.
TDP Telugu Yuvatha president Devineni Avinash and senior leader from Vijayawada Kadiyala Buchi Babu joined the YSRC in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, Avinash said he was joining the YSRC as he was impressed with the welfare schemes being implemented by the Jagan government.
In another blow to the TDP, its Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi, who had earlier announced his resignation from the party, launched a scathing attack on Naidu for taking up the deeksha. The TDP chief, however, put up a brave face and said such desertions will not affect the yellow party.
“The ruling party managed to get into its fold two of my party leaders and make them lash out at me on a day when I am observing deeksha,’’ Naidu said and added that the party has the capacity to build young leaders and take the party forward.Vamsi, who had met Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy raising speculation that he will join the YSRC, lashed out at Naidu for failing to play the role of a constructive Opposition leader. “What is the need for staging a deeksha against a government which is at a nascent stage,’’ he said and added that the TDP should give some more time for the government to deliver.
Vamsi also suggested that Naidu should not stage deekshas just because he was not in power and said he would pray God to give good sense to the TDP chief.
Vamsi said one should support the good work done by a government and welcomed the government’s decision to introduce English medium in government schools. Vamsi, who claimed that he has good rapport with Jagan, said that he was supporting the Chief Minister because of his good work.
Stating that the TDP has bleak future and it is like a Titanic, Vamsi said Naidu should take the suggestions of others into consideration or else the ship will sink. He accused Devineni Umamaheswara Rao of creating problems for him in the TDP.
He also alleged that some leaders in the party created websites to write articles against him. “I know that those websites are run by Chinna Babu (Nara Lokesh),’’ he said.
Vamsi maintained that he would join the YSRC soon. The YSRC leaders from Gannavaram are reportedly opposing the joining of Vamsi in the party which made the MLA to go slow on shifting loyalties.