Moves on to deprive Naidu of Oppn status in AP Assembly

The sand scarcity induced jubilation of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) might be short-lived, with at least two to four prominent Legislators of the party ready to shift their loyalty to either ruling YSRCP of the BJP.

In an Assembly of 175 seats the regional party requires at least 18 seats to maintain the opposition status. The TDP has won 23 seats, five more than the required number. However, the number came down to 22 after Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi quit the party and is all set to join the YSRCP.

In a big blow to the TDP, its former minister and party’s face in Visakhapatnam, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, was in New Delhi met BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav and is finalizing his entry into the BJP. Ganta also stayed away from Pawan Kalyan’s Long March in support of construction workers in which other senior leaders from TDP participated. It is said that YSRCP minister and Ganta’s friend Avanthi Srinivas played a crucial role in encouraging him to leave TDP.

Sources say that at least two more TDP leaders including Chirala MLA and senior leader Karanam Balaram of Prakasam district are in line to join the national party.

Last month BJP Rajya Sabha member Sujana Choudary met Balaram in Ongole. Even though Sujana brushed aside speculations, the BJP has secured a promise from mighty Balaram to strengthen BJP that has no representation in the Assembly.

Why BJP

Even as the Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s party is ready to admit the TDP MLAs, Jagan’s declaration that they must first resign from the party and the MLA post before joining the YSRCP is acting as a deterrent. Similarly, any MLA joining BJP also will face disqualification as the Speaker Tammineni Seetharam warned stern action on turncoat MLAs.

Several TDP leaders, who have been a target of YSRCPs’ style of politics and are facing cases, are hoping for a safe haven in BJP.

Despite the soul searching for the miserable failure in the 2019 elections and a series of protests against the YSRCP government, in an effort to keep the party cadre engaged, Chandrababu Naidu seems to be fighting a losing battle against the parties in power.