The Congress has virtually become an empty house in Kadapa district with most of its important leaders deserting it and joining other parties.
Former Kadapa MLA Kandula Sivananda Reddy, who served as Kadapa District Congress Committee president in the past, and his brother Kandula Rajamohana Reddy, who unsuccessfully contested the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency polls against former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and his brother and former Minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, quit the Congress and joined the TDP last week.
The former MLA of Proddatur Nandyala Varadarajulu Reddy, who made his debut as MLA on TDP ticket, later won four terms as a Congress MLA, and was defeated in 2009 has also joined the TDP. Sitting Kamalapuram MLA G. Veerasiva Reddy, former MLA R. Ramesh Kumar Reddy and his brother R. Srinivasulu Reddy, have also joined the TDP fold.
Former Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy, who was elected MLA for six terms, has been attending the TDP’s meetings in Mydukur, and could join the party any time.
Congress in-charge of Rajampet constituency Meda Mallikarjuna Reddy, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly from Rajampet in the by-elections of 2012, switched over to the TDP.
Congress MLA of Jammalamadugu C. Adinarayana Reddy and his brother and MLC C. Narayana Reddy have switched loyalties to the YSR Congress. Former Badvel MLA V. Sivaramakrishna Rao, who was chairman of the A.P. Medical and Health Infrastructure Corporation, joined the Jai Samikyandhra Party (JSP) floated by former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Congress MP A. Sai Prathap, who was elected from the Rajampet Lok Sabha seat for six consecutive terms, also joined the JSP, but is said to be trying to join the TDP shortly.
Former PCC official spokesman and 20-Point Economic Programme Chairman N. Thulasi Reddy has also joined the JSP.
Battered by the spate of defections, the Congress, which is viewed as the main ‘culprit’ behind the State’s bifurcation, would have a tough time finding candidates for the Assembly and Parliamentary elections. It could only manage to field eight candidates for the 50 municipal divisions in Kadapa Municipal Corporation elections.
Congress functionaries have also shied away from fielding their kin on party tickets in the municipal elections and several of them are in the fray either from the TDP or as independents.
However, three MLCs – C. Ramachandraiah, Shaik Hussain and B. Chengalrayulu – and Kadapa DCC chief Makam Ashok Kumar, have remained loyal to the Congress.
