SANGAREDDY: With the election season approaching, rumours of defections and shifting loyalties are rife. However, the latest in the series is that the second-rung leaders of the BRS from the Sangareddy Assembly constituency have urged the high command against inducting TPCC working president T Jayaprakash Reddy, popularly known as Jagga Reddy, into the party.
For a while now, it has been widely reported that Jagga Reddy will shift his loyalties to the pink party. However, the Sangareddy MLA has remained silent on the issue and hasn’t clarified his stance. Privately, Jagga Reddy is engaged in discussions with close associates about the implications of switching loyalties and the potential political trajectory if he continues with the Congress.
Although he hasn’t made any official announcements, it is being speculated that he would move to the BRS by the end of this month. However, certain followers of former MLA Chinta Prabhakar, along with those who previously resigned from Congress, oppose Jagga Reddy’s entry into BRS. They have made it clear that his inclusion could hinder their ability to work within the party and, if necessary, they might choose to leave.
Prominent leaders from the Sangareddy constituency — Dr G Srihari, Market Committee chairman Prabhu Goud, S Harikishan and R Venkateshwarlu, among others — went to Hyderabad to meet Finance Minister T Harish Rao.
Dr G Srihari and S Hari Kishan, who are against the Congress leader’s induction into the party, informed TNIE that they remain committed to the party’s success regardless of the candidate fielded. They hold no objections to granting party tickets to former MLA Chinta Prabhakar or any other member, but they strongly oppose giving an opportunity to Jagga Reddy, ‘who has a history of joining ruling parties only during elections’.
For a while, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has shown an inclination to welcome Jagga Reddy into the party. While the Sangareddy MLA, along with former ministers Damodar Rajanarsimha and J Geetha Reddy, are prominent Congress leaders in the Sangareddy district, Geetha Reddy intends to contest from the Secunderabad Cantonment segment instead of Zaheerabad this time. The CM is reportedly open to absorbing these two leaders, Damodar Rajanarsimha and Jagga Reddy, into the BRS as a strategic move to weaken the Congress’ influence in the Sangareddy district, sources said.
Rumours suggest that if Jagga Reddy joins the BRS, he will be offered a ministerial position, and one of his followers might be appointed as an MLC. Similarly, in the case of Damodar Rajanarsimha, if he joins BRS, he could receive a party ticket from Andole and a ministerial role. If his daughter is nominated instead of him, the BRS high command has assured Rajanarsimha a Lok Sabha ticket or a seat in the Rajya Sabha. Despite multiple attempts, TNIE was unable to reach either of the leaders for comments.