TDP Chittoor district president Jangalapalle Srinivasulu alias JMC, on Tuesday evening joined the YSR Congress in the presence of party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy in Hyderabad.
Mr. Jangalapalle’s quitting the TDP did not spring any surprise in the party circles as there had been wide speculation over his possible entry into the YSRC since a month. Moreover, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy had made frantic efforts to rope in Jangalapalle into his party two years ago, but the latter joined the TDP from Praja Rajyam, said to be influenced by former Chittoor MP D.K. Audikesavulu Naidu.
The latest entry of D.K. Satyaprabha, the widow of the late leader into the TDP and Mr Chandrababu Naidu’s reported assurance to her of Chittoor MLA ticket angered Jangalapalle, forcing him to quit the party and join the YSRC.
Contesting on the Praja Rajyam ticket from Chittoor in 2009, Jangalapalle lost to Congress MLA C.K. Jayachandra Reddy alias C.K. Babu by a thin margin.
In the later years, though he joined the TDP, most of the district cadres were not happy with his leadership, accusing him of being biased towards his Balija community in the formation of the district body.
During the political turbulence in the State on a couple of occasions, when there was a speculation on the mid-term polls, Jangalapalle claimed the TDP ticket much in advance, which angered other senior leaders in the party.
The Kamma community in Chittoor town always remained strong opponents to Jangalapalle’s claim for MLA ticket and he had to continuously face non-cooperation from his colleagues.
It is observed that Jangalapalle’s entry into the YSRC will split the dominant Balija votes in the constituency since the TDP’s most likely candidate D.K. Satyaprabha too belongs to the same community.
The present YSRC Chittoor coordinator A.S. Manohar too belongs to the Balija community and he is in the race for MLA ticket.
However, Peddireddi Mithun Reddy, YSRC Rajampeta MP candidate and son of former minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, who was instrumental in bringing Jangalapalle to the YSRC fold, is said to have convinced Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy to field his choice in Chittoor.
