Fearing a complete washout of the Congress in the next elections in Seemandhra, a number of Ministers from the region are mulling plans to quit the ruling party in search of greener pastures.
They feel they are left with few options in the wake of the non-stop agitation against the CWC’s decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. While some are talking of launching a new political party, others are considering the option of defecting to the rival parties.
At least five Ministers are said to be keen on joining the YSR Congress, which has suddenly taken up the united AP slogan, dumping its earlier stand of equal justice to all regions. They include four Ministers from the Coastal region and one from Rayalaseema. At least two others Ministers, who have launched a diatribe against the YSR Congress leaders, may examine the scope of joining the TDP, if the latter reverses its stand and starts a campaign in favour of Samaikyandhra.
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One Minister is in touch with both YSR Congress and TDP leaders seeking the party ticket for the Lok Sabha elections. Lending credence to reports about defections, Minister for Animal Husbandry P. Viswaroop told reporters on Monday that he would wait till November 1 for the Congress to reverse its decision. If it did not, he would quit the party.
New party
Interestingly, Congress MP from Guntur Rayapati Sambasiva Rao said in Chennai on Sunday in the presence of Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah and Union Minister D. Purandeswari that a new party -- Samaikyandhra Congress Party -- would be floated after September 6.
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It is understood that some Seemandhra MPs and a few State Ministers could be associated with the new party. With the YSR Congress taking stand in support of the united AP and the TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu grudgingly accepting the strong resentment against bifurcation, the Congress is being projected in negative light.