HYDERABAD: The suspension of former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and former Minister Jupally Krishna Rao from the BRS on Monday sent the mercury shooting up in the political barometer in the state. After their suspension was announced, a red-hot debate raged in the party circles over what the ramifications would be. The questions lingered over whether they would join any existing party or would together form a new one and if so who would join forces with them. The BRS cracked the whip against them after they made incendiary comments on the party leadership at an Aathemeeya Sammelan programme which Srinivasa Reddy organised at Kothagudem on Sunday.
At the meeting, both leaders belched fire and brimstone against the State government, sometimes directly and sometimes obliquely. After the suspension, both leaders slammed Chandrasekhar Rao. They have two options before them for their political future. One is to join either the Congress or the BJP or form a party of their own. For the last few months, Srinivasa Reddy has been holding Athmeeya Sammelans with his followers in erstwhile Khammam district. He named his candidates for the constituencies where the meetings were held, setting off speculation that he was rooting for forming a new party.
In Wyra constituency, Srinivasa Reddy announced Banoth Vijaya, and in the Aswaraopeta constituency, Jare Adinarayana as his candidate for the seats in the next Assembly elections. Badradri ZP chairman Koram Kanakaiah is also openly supporting Srinivasa Reddy. The former MP had announced multiple times that all his followers in various constituencies of the erstwhile Khammam district will contest in the next Assembly elections.
Options before Jupally
According to sources, Krishna Rao is also considering these two options. In the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district, he does not see eye to eye with former minister DK Aruna who is now in the BJP. He may not consider joining the BJP as Aruna, who is party’s vice-president, might thwart his attempts to join the saffron party’s ranks or even if he does, she might make every effort to stymie his rise.
If he joins Congress, he would have to compete with Ch Jagadeehswar Rao and Rangineni Abhilash Rao who are eying the party ticket for the Kollapur Assembly seat.
Krishna Rao’s close associates said that he was planning to field his supporters in Wanaparthy, Devarakadra, and Achampet. As getting tickets for himself might become dicey in Congress, he may not be able to draw much water in getting tickets for his proteges.
According to analysts, the only option left for both leaders is to float a new political party and contest about 20 to 25 seats. Reportedly, Srinivas Reddy and Krishna Rao are in talks with many like-minded and disgruntled leaders in other parties in the prelude to forming their own party.
Funding is a big obstacle
Analysts say the obstacle that they may have to cross if they intend to float a party will be funding the elections of their candidates which have become prohibitively expensive. Then the new party would have to earn the trust of the people and the cadres to such an extent that they should see them as better bets than the BRS, BJP. and the Congress, which is a tall order.
Even a political warhorse like Eatala Rajender did not dare to float a party though he was in the bullring of politics for more than 20 years and chose to join the saffron party after he was necked out of the BRS. He later won the byelection from Huzurabad on the BJP ticket.
The analysts believe that if there is an addition of the Ponguleti-Jupally party to the existing parties, it is K Chandrasekhar Rao who is going to benefit from the split in the Opposition vote bank. The two leaders who fell out with Rao now have to make a very conscientious decision in charting their future course in politics as there is a risk of slipping into political oblivion if they do not pay their cards well.