VIJAYAWADA: Reacting to the defection of lawmaker Bhuma Nagireddy, his daughter Akhila and two others to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the YSR Congress spokesperson R.K Roja said on Tuesday that the soul of Bhuma Shobha Nagireddy (the lawmaker's deceased wife and a YSRC legislator at the time of her death in an accident) would be disturbed by this development.
Speaking to media-persons in Tirupati, the former Telugu film actress wondered how the TDP, which did not bother to move a motion in the Assembly mourning the death of Shobha Nagi Reddy, has now admitted her husband and daughter into its fold.
She described Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu as "shani" (a jinx) that has gripped Indian politics.
She said she suspected that monetary inducements may have been offered to the defecting YSRC MLAs. "If this is not the case, there is no reason why they should join the TDP, which is a sinking ship," she said.
Roja wondered how Nadiu could admit YSRC MLAs into his party after having lashed out at the Telangana Rashtra Samiti for luring away TDP MLAs in Telangana.
Naidu had then said the TRS was purchasing opposition MLAs as though they were cattle in a shandy, Roja recalled.
She questioned Naidu as to how he could take them into the TDP without first making them resign their membership of the Assembly since they had won their elections on YSRC tickets.
Interestingly, Telangana commercial taxes minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav asked Naidu in Hyderabad as to how he could defend his action at a time when he had taken objection to him joining the TRS after winning an election on TDP ticket.