Pitani Satyanarayana, former Minister for Social Welfare and a close aide of former Chief Minister and founder of Jai Samaikhyandhra Party (JSP) N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, seems to be preparing for defection to the TDP. People in his native Achanta Assembly constituency in West Godavari district have been witness to a high-level political drama for the last few days, giving credence to speculations over his party-hopping. His followers staged demonstrations at his house at Kommuchikkala village in the constituency, urging him to join the TDP. He was reported to have given an assurance that he would take his supporters into confidence while deciding on his political future and left for Hyderabad on Monday evening.
Insiders from his camp said his joining the TDP was only a formality and a decision to this effect was expected in a day or two. Mr. Satyanarayana is already reportedly in touch with the TDP MP C.M Ramesh. Hailing from the dominant Setti Balija community, he won the Achanta seat on the Congress ticket in 2009 and became Minister in the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy government. He was said to have been toying with the idea of switching over to the TDP since his re-election on the fledgling JSP ticket was unsure. The just-born party failed to allot even B-forms for its candidates contesting in the local body elections in the constituency. As a result, they have been fighting the election with the party symbol of footwear as independent candidates. Pitani’s camp obviously became restive and lost faith in JSP for its poor homework vis-à-vis local body elections.
