The ruling Congress continued to be at the receiving end with an MLA resigning his seat and three others meeting YSR Congress Party honorary president Y. S. Vijayamma in Visakhapatnam on Thursday during her road-shows.
A fourth legislator, Alla Nani alias A. K. Srinivas, told reporters after meeting Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy in Chanchalguda jail that he would join the YSR Congress Party and participate in Mrs. Vijayamma's election campaign.
The other three MLAs – R.V.S.K. Ranga Rao (Bobbili), Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy (Kakinada City) and S. Jayamani (Parvathipuram) met Ms. Vijayamma during her road show at Kotauratla mandal in Payakaraopeta mandal in Visakhapatnam district and expressed their solidarity with the YSR family and the party.
While Mr. Ranga Rao had already resigned his party membership and Assembly seat, Ms. Jayamani's meeting assumed significance as she is a newcomer into the YSRCP. Mr. Chandrasekhara Reddy sailed with the Jagan camp and then returned to the Congress but crossed over to the YSRCP again.
They vowed to stand by the YSR family, which they claimed was being ‘targeted by the Congress government' due to political vendetta. The MLAs stated that if they did not support Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's family at this stage, they would be termed back-stabbers. “It was because of YSR that we became MLAs,” the legislators said. Ms. Jayamani said she would take a decision on quitting the party after meeting her supporters. Mr. Ranga Rao said: “If the harassment of Jagan continued, many more Congress MLAs and leaders would join the YSRCP soon.”
Separately at Nuzvid in Krishna district, TDP MLA Ch. Ramakotaiah said that he would not contest the 2014 polls on the party ticket as he was unable to adjust to the opportunistic politics. Reacting to reports that he may join the YSRCP, Mr. Ramakotaiah said: “I am yet to decide my future.”
