YSRC leader and former minister Konda Surekha, who shot off a stinker to party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday, may return to the Congress or even join the BJP. Other T leaders in the party may follow suit, making the YSRC, a Seemandhra party.
After Surekha’s letter to Jagan, her supporters raided the party office in Warangal and painted the walls white, obliterating the images of Jagan and even the late YSR. The Konda couple’s U-turn follows indications that the YSRC would be taking a Samaikyandhra stand.
Already marginalised in the party, they felt that if they stayed any longer, it would be curtains for their political career, sources said. In her hard-hitting letter, Surekha accused Jagan of being obsessed with making lakhs of crores and termed the YSRC, a private limited company.
She has apparently been in touch with the Congress through former PCC chief D Srinivas who belongs to her community and who is close to Murali. Interestingly, the couple are also learnt to be in touch with Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao, whom she had targeted as YSRC leader, to clear the decks for her return to the Congress. Sources said Surekha and Murali want to meet Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in a day or two and quit the YSRC thereafter. They apparently want to take revenge by campaigning against Jagan in the next general elections. There are unconfirmed reports that Surekha might look at the option of joining the BJP.
Surekha and her husband Murali have not been on good terms with the YSRC leadership for some time now. The relationship reached a flash point in May when four of their followers who were party incharges for constituencies in Warangal district were sacked.
Though she was considered almost No 2 in the YSRC initially, gradually, her wings were clipped. After she lost the by-election to the TRS in June last year, the party leadership began ignoring her.
The party does not have many leaders in Telangana and even the handful who are active in T belt are looking for greener pastures. They are looking at BJP, the Congress and interestingly even the TDP with growing interest. In Adilabad, former MP A Indrakaran Reddy, who recently joined the YSRC, is in a dilemma. “Let me see what stand the YSRC takes after the Congress makes an announcement on Telangana. Then I will take a decision,” he said.
He may not join the TRS because there is already one aspirant for Assembly ticket in the party in his Nirmal constituency while in Congress, sitting MLA A Meheswara Reddy will come in the way. As he is originally from the TDP, and with the yellow party making smart gains in the panchayat elections, there is a likelihood that Indrakaran Reddy might look at this option.
In Karimnagar district, the lone leader KK Mahender Reddy too appears to be in a dilemma. “I have admiration for YSR. That is why I have joined the YSRC. If the party firms up its stand against Telangana, maybe, I will quit politics. I will not join any party,” he said.
Bhongir leader Jitta Balakrishna Reddy, who hops from one party to the other with effortless ease, is reportedly looking at the BJP and the Congress. “I will take a decision after July 31. By then, a decision will have come on Telangana, anyway,” he said.
Nizamabad leader Bajireddy Govardhan, however, might stick with the YSRC. “He is a YSR man. He will not leave the party,” one YSRC leader said confidently. The party, in fact, used Govardhan to hit back at Surekha on Monday. “Let Surekha explain how she had led the attack against Chandrababu Naidu and the Congress in defence of Jagan Mohan Reddy in the past and how she is making wild allegations against same Jagan Mohan Reddy now,” he said.