HYDERABAD: The ongoing battle of wits between TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy took an interesting turn recently when TDP leaked information that at least eight to 10 YSRC MLAs, including Bhuma Nagi Reddy and his daughter Akhila Priya, are ready to shift their loyalties. Bhuma Nagi, who represents Nandayl Assembly constituency in Kurnool district, is Jagan’s right hand man.
After Jagan’s recent threat that several of the TDP MLAs were ‘in touch’ with him and that he would dethrone the TDP government, Naidu is now going on the counter-offensive against the YSRC. Last Monday, Naidu lured four MLAs and one MLC away from the YSRC to the TDP side on a single day.
Meanwhile, Jagan has been into firefighting mode to keep his flock together. He has been on the exercise of identifying his party MLAs, who are likely to defect to the TDP, and has been making attempts to convince them not to leave the party. “If Naidu has any moral values, he should ask the defectors to seek a fresh mandate. I dare him to take up this challenge. It is shameful on the part of the CM to encourage defections. Naidu is a betrayer, who backstabbed his father-in-law N T Rama Rao to usurp the chief minister’s post,” said Jagan.
Even as Jagan was trying to come to terms with the sudden blitzkrieg launched by the TDP, Naidu again was on the prowl and succeeded in making one more YSRC MLA cross over to the ruling party, this time from Jagan’s native Kadapa district, a bastion of the YSRC. With this the TDP’s strength in the 175-member Assembly has gone up to 107, putting the ruling party in an unshakable position.
Interestingly, Naidu has decided to take the bull by the horns by engineering more defections from the Rayalaseema region, YSRC’s stronghold. “Another 10 to 15 YSRC MLAs are ready to join the TDP without any conditions. YSRC will become a rump by the time the State Assembly budget session commences on March 5,” Deputy Chief Minister KE Krishnamurthy, who hails from the Rayalaseema region, told The Sunday Standard.
According to sources, Jagan’s recent threat issued to the ruling party that he would topple the government had irritated Naidu and has made the CM strike back at the YSRC.
As there is a lot of competition for the Rajya Sabha seats within the TDP, Naidu is formulating strategies to win all the four seats by decreasing YSRC’s numerical strength in the House.
TDP sources disclosed that of the three seats his party is sure to win, Naidu has made up his mind to give one seat to the BJP. As Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu’s term in the Upper House will be ending by June from Karnataka, he along with his colleague Nirmala Sitaraman are understood to be in the competition to bag the sole seat, the BJP is going to get from Andhra Pradesh.
Jagan’s Move
■ Wants to take legal recourse to challenge TDP’s move to encourage defections from his party
■ In order to keep his flock together, he is trying to boost the morale of his party cadres by saying that people are vexed with the TDP’s rule and he is trying to level corruption allegations against Naidu’s government
■ He has been on the exercise of identifying his party MLAs who are likely to defect to the TDP and has been making attempts to convince them not to leave the party
■ Intensifies his campaign to force Naidu to ask the defected MLAs to resign from Assembly
Naidu’s Move
■ The CM is on the counter-offensive attack against the YSRC to lure more MLAs
■ Wants to ensure that YSRC is denied of the lone seat it is expected to get from the four seats during the ensuing Rajya Sabha polls from AP by decreasing the numerical strength of Jagan’s party in the Assembly.
■ Naidu is banking on a provision made in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, that numerical strength of the State Assembly would be enhanced from the existing 175 to 225 by 2019 polls to poach more MLAs from the YSRC to its camp