RRR…this name or title so far brings to mind the magnum Telugu opus being made by legendary director Rajamouli. But the recent remarks by Andhra Pradesh endowments minister Vellampalli Srinivas give new meaning to these letters. According to him, RRR is directed by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. Don’t get confused. This RRR is different from Rajamouli’s. Vellampalli meant YSRCP rebel MP K Raghurama Krishna Raju when he said RRR.
The rebel MP has become a thorn in the side of the Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government by roasting it almost daily on one issue or the other. Efforts by the YSRCP to strip him of Lok Sabha membership by lodging complaint with the Speaker have failed so far. He has been pinpricking the party and the government cleverly without directly targeting party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The BJP has sent clear enough signals that the rebel MP, who made several allegations against the YSRCP government five months ago, has its blessings. The Union government promptly responded to his complaints of possible threats to him from YSRCP and provided him with Y Category security. He has been increasing the pitch of his attacks on the YSRCP government following clear indications from the saffron party that he has its backing. The talk is that he is likely to join BJP in near future.
Naturally, minister Vellampalli Srinivas’s charge that Raghurama Krishnam Raju is acting under the directions of Naidu, are certain to surprise everyone.
YSRCP strategy?
Sources say that Vellampalli’s remarks may be part of YSRCP’s strategy to pit state BJP leaders against Raghurama Krishna Raju by portraying him as TDP chief’s agent. State BJP leaders are considering TDP and its chief their principal enemy. Party state leaders have already succeeded in creating impression that a few TDP leaders who recently joined the party like Sujana Chowdary, CM Ramesh are TDP Trojan horses. Now the plan seems to create barriers for Raju’s entry into party by showing him as Naidu’s man.
For all practical purposes, Raju left the YSRCP. That said, he is unlikely to join another party soon. It is conventional wisdom that his most appropriate choice will be BJP. In any scenario, he will never opt for TDP which lost power and cannot offer him anything. In view of YSRCP and state BJP leaders determined to stop him from joining saffron party, it is interesting to see what would be his next step.
