: The YSR Congress has landed in a state of discomfiture with defection of its legislators to the ruling Telugu Desam Party continuing unabated.
The desertions, which started with senior leader Bhuma Nagi Reddy, his daughter Akhila Priya on February 22 and others during the budget session of the legislature, are continuing with the latest being Bobbili MLA Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao who is said to have made up his mind to join the ruling party. Senior MLAs, including the party’s deputy leader in the Assembly Jyothula Nehru, have left the party alleging that they were not given due recognition by the leadership.
The defections are said to be having a demoralising effect on the party cadre. Lack of confidence among the legislators in the party leadership is cited as the reason, but analysts feel that the dearth of resources for taking up developmental works in their respective constituencies was driving the MLAs to switch loyalties.
The TDP leadership, on its part, is understood to have offered the defecting MLAs good number of works in their respective constituencies as also the promise of accommodating them in the next elections. Also, the MLAs are confident that they will not come under the ambit of the anti-defection law even if they switch loyalties.
Development mantra
The defected legislators are citing the development of their constituencies on the one hand and the attitude of party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy towards them. Mr. Jagan, who is expected to take up measures to instil confidence among his MLAs to retain them within the party fold, was, however, said to have been unable to rein them in despite efforts made through his emissaries like V. Vijaysai Reddy.
The YSRC leadership, according to sources, was firm that the party was supreme and a few individuals crossing over to the other side would not have any impact on its prospects. Senior leaders claim that the encouragement given by the TDP to defections would soon boomerang as the party leadership would find it difficult to fulfil the aspirations of the defected MLAs.
Any concession given to the defected MLAs, including the likely induction of a couple of them into the Cabinet, was sure to result in dissatisfaction among the seniors in the TDP which in turn would have adverse impact on the party at the grassroots level.
Defections to the ruling TDP are said to be having a demoralising effect on the party cadre
