From no numbers in Feb, TDP set to dominate YSRCP in Rajya Sabha

Hyderabad: Due to a lack of sufficient numbers, TDP stayed away from Rajya Sabha elections in February this year, after which, for the first time in the 41 years of its history, the 'Yellow Party' had no representation in the upper house of parliament.

At that time, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu told his party colleagues, “Since the general elections are not too far away, it's better we do not lose focus on them by fielding a candidate in Rajya Sabha polls. Better we stay away.” YSRCP won the three vacant Rajya Sabha seats unanimously without any contest and established domination from the state in the upper house of the parliament.

During this period, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy denied party tickets to numerous sitting MLAs in the upcoming elections, leading to a significant amount of dissent within the then-ruling party. Many senior leaders in the TDP had advised Naidu to cash in on the situation prevailing in the ruling party, field a candidate in the Rajya Sabha election and seek the help of disgruntled YSRCP MLAs to win.

A shrewd and veteran politician he is, Naidu, however, stayed away and never lost focus on the general elections that followed and emerged triumphant with a historic mandate, decimating the incumbent YSRCP by confining it to just 11 seats.

Cut to August; now, after six months, Naidu has laid his eyes on improving TDP's numbers in Rajya Sabha. On Thursday, out of the total 11 members of the YSRCP in Rajya Sabha, two quit the upper house and bid good-bye to the party.

Mopidevi Venkata Ramana and Beeda Mastan Rao quit as members of Rajya Sabha and are all set to join TDP. Highly placed sources in the TDP pointed out that Naidu will, in all probability, renominate Mastan Rao to Rajya Sabha and pick somebody else in place of Venkata Ramana, who is interested in state politics.

Venkata Ramana, it is learnt, would be nominated by the TDP to the legislative council, the upper house in the Andhra Pradesh legislature. Since both Venkata Ramana and Mastan Rao have resigned as Rajya Sabha members, there is neither a moral nor technical obligation on them to join TDP.

With the current MLA numbers in favour of TDP, Naidu can nominate leaders of his choice to the upper house of the parliament. With no numbers at all in February, TDP will have two in a few days in Rajya Sabha. Highly placed sources in both YSRCP and TDP told DH that out of the total nine remaining Rajya Sabha members of YRCP, at least six more are expected to take the 'exit route' of Mopidevi Venkata Ramana and Beeda Mastan Rao.

Remarks by both YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the party's parliamentary leader, V Vijaysi Reddy, immediately after the June 4 results of the general elections that the NDA needs the support of YSRCP, having 11 members in the upper house, had triggered the poaching by the NDA's partner, TDP.

It would be interesting to see if the remaining YSRCP Rajya Sabha members would prefer to join TDP, BJP, or Jana Sena. Together, all three parties have 164 MLAs who can elect all the 11 Rajya Sabha members from Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile YSRCP Rajya Sabha members Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy and Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose firmly dismissed reports suggesting that they are leaving the party. Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose clarified that the reports about him leaving the party were false. Asserting that the YSR family has always supported him, he said he was rich in loyalty and dedication to the YSR family although he may not be wealthy in financial terms.

Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy reiterated his commitment to the YSRCP and the leadership of Jagan Mohan Reddy. Both MPs condemned the speculation about them and other Rajya Sabha members leaving the party. Subhash Chandra Bose pointed out that, except for a few, all YSRCP Rajya Sabha members are firmly with the party. Both the Rajya Sabha members criticised the decision of Venkata Ramana and Mastan Rao to resign from the party, stating that this was a betrayal to the party and its leader at a time when there is no possibility of immediate replacements.