TDP, BJP vies in wooing YSRC MLAs - TeluguPeople.com News

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party and BJP, which are partners in the governments both at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh, appear to be competing with each other in engineering defections from the YSRC to their respective parties.

Both the parties seem to be trying to woo disgruntled MLAs and leaders in the YSRC to their respective fold.

If the TDP wants to consolidate its position by making inroads into the YSRC in AP, the BJP has larger plans to improve its strength in the reorganised State so as to attain power in the State on its own by 2019 general polls.

Ahead of party president Amit Shah's visit to the two Telugu States, which is expected to take place in the second week of January, the BJP AP leadership is understood to have intensified efforts to attract YSRC leaders to the saffron party's side, besides persuading the Congress seniors to join the saffron party.

Proving this, BJP State leadership, at the behest of the Central leadership, is reportedly holding talks with discontented MLAs/leaders in the YSRC.

For now, the BJP leadership seems to have succeeded in convincing the YSRC MLA C Adinarayana Reddy (Jammalamadugu) to join the party. Proving this, Reddy has begun dropping indications that he is all set to join the saffron party by ditching Jagan's party. He is expected to join the BJP in January.

Like Reddy, some other seniors in the YSRC such as Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy (Nellore MP) are also said to be showing inclination towards the BJP. In fact, a few months ago, Rajamohan Reddy praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the skies.

Even party senior MV Mysoora Reddy is said to be feeling uncomfortable in the party. His recent silence in the party gives strength to this argument.

The BJP leadership at the same time is focusing its attention in convincing some of the Congress seniors such as ex-chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, former APCC boss Botcha Satyanarayana, former minister DL Ravindra Reddy and Anam brothers to join the saffron party.

On the other hand, TDP leadership has also intensified efforts to woo dissatisfied MLAs from the YSRC to its fold. TDP leaders are claiming that at least six MLAs from the YSRC are ready to join the yellow party soon.

'Of these six MLAs, three are from North Andhra, another is from Prakasam, one each from Nellore and Kurnool districts,' said a TDP leader.

According to sources, Addanki (Prakasam district) MLA Gottipati Ravi Kumar is expressing willingness to join the TDP. However, TDP senior Karanam Balaramakrishna Murthy, who hails from the same segment, is said to be objecting to this.

'The party leadership is trying convince Krishna Murthy for the smooth entry of Ravi Kumar into the party,' said source. Classic example for the ongoing competition between the TDP and the BJP over attracting disgruntled leaders from the YSRC to their respective parties is the case of former minister Konathala Ramakrishna, who had quit the YSRC some days ago.

At a time when the BJP leadership held talks with Konathala to make him join the party, the TDP leadership stepped in and is learnt to have persuaded him to take the yellow party's membership.