The number of Congress MLAs of Seemandhra determined to embarrass the party’s central leadership by fielding one or two rebel candidates in the ensuing Rajya Sabha elections is swelling.
The political scene has suddenly electrified with the buzz that rebel Congress candidate would give a run for the money to the official nominees of the party.
The names of former Minister J. C. Diwakar Reddy and party MLC K. V. V. Satyanarayana Raju (Chaitanya Raju) are already in circulation. A new twist was added to the political drama after reports that Minister for Infrastructure Ganta Srinivasa Rao would also enter the fray.
Strategy sessionA sense of anger is evident among the Seemandhra MLAs who see the elections as an opportunity to show to the high command their strong opposition to bifurcation of the State.
The office chambers of Mr. Ganta Srinivasa Rao in the Assembly became the nerve centre for hectic political activity as Ministers – T.G. Venkatesh and Erasu Pratap Reddy – along with Gade Venkat Reddy, Mr. Diwakar Reddy, MLAs and legislators of the erstwhile Praja Rajyam Party held a strategic session.
They were unanimous in the view that one rebel candidate would contest the polls and if the numbers increase, a second nominee would file his papers.
The three aspirants were clear that one of them would drop out if the numbers did not match up.
A Minister told The Hindu they would get the backing of as many as 52 Seemandhra MLAs.
Under pressureSources close to Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that he was under pressure to contest the polls to the Upper House in order to defeat the official candidate and send an unambiguous message to the Congress leadership.
