The situation of leaders who quit TDP and joined YSRCP is pathetic. Chirala MLA and TDP senior leader Karanam Balaram, Gannavaram MLA V Vamsi Mohan, Guntur West MLA Maddala Giri and some other senior leaders joined the ruling party for different reasons.
YS Jagan had earlier laid out the red carpet and wrapped the party ‘Kanduva’ when they entered the party. It has become a ritual of sort for any TDP leader to criticize party chief N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh in the harshest words possible before joining the ruling party. It is apparent that the script comes directly from the high command. Continuing the trend, the usually obedient Vallabhaneni Vamsi too launched a tirade against Naidu and his son soon after meeting Jagan.
Local headache for Vamsi
YSRCP has strong leaders in Gannavaram constituency. Apart from Dutta Ramachandra Rao who lost on the party ticket in 2014 elections, Yarlagadda Venkata Rao, party candidate in 2019 elections, is also an influential leader in the region. These leaders are not able to digest the entry of Vamsi into the party. YSRCP In-charge for Krishna district YV Subba Reddy summoned the trio three times and tried to hammer out a patch up, but after a few days of calm, the differences are coming out in the open again.
Vexed with local opposition to him, Vallabhaneni Vamsi recently posted a message on Facebook bidding goodbye to politics and thanking those who had supported him so far. It is seen as a sign of desperation on the part of the defected MLA at not receiving any support from the party leadership.
Sources say YSRCP leaders had made many promises to Vamsi before inviting him into the party. But after he joined it, let alone addressing his problems, no one is listening to his pleas of arranging a meeting with the Chief Minister for once.
Karanam vs Amanchi
The situation has turned worse in Chirala constituency for the ruling party. Although not the local leader, Karanam Balaram won the seat because of the strong opposition among people towards sitting MLA Amanchi Krishna Mohan. He later joined YSRCP along with his son Venkatesh. But sources say his repeated attempts since then to meet the Chief Minister have not fructified. Upset with this lack of respect, Balaram is said to be wondering if he had made a mistake by changing the party. He is in a quandary about his political future since he has lost grip in Addanki and is now being portrayed as a non-local in Chirala.
Maddali Giridhar’s unique distinction
Compared to other TDP defectors, Guntur West MLA Maddali Giri is somewhat happy with his decision. His victory in Guntur West was solely due to Kamma voters who always pitch for TDP and the financial backing from MP Galla Jayadev. Giri will not win even if the YSRCP fields him in the next election, which is highly unlikely. He is said to be happy for now as he has nothing to lose. He reportedly switched the party after getting a huge package. Interestingly, he earned the distinction of being the only defected MLA to have met the CM after shifting loyalty to YSRCP.
Sidda’s fate
Former minister Sidda Raghava Rao who joined YSRCP is a businessman by profession. He has been operating granite business for the last 30 years. Known as a gentle and humble person, he is known for his soft natured politics. Hounded by the YSRCP government in the form of raids and fines on his granite mines, he shifted to the ruling party without delay. During the TDP rule, Raghava Rao ruled the roost in the district, but now he has no influence even in his constituency. People think that he may confine himself to his businesses from now. If possible, his brothers may continue in politics. He has not joined YSRCP for posts. He just wants his businesses to run smoothly. Hence, he may not regret his decision much.
Fall of Avinash
Devineni Avinash was once the state president of Telugu Yuvatha. He is one of the influential leaders in Vijayawada East, owing to the legacy of his father Nehru. During the last elections, TDP had to field the veteran and popular leader Gadde Rammohan again. Avinash was sent to Gudivada but he lost there because he was a non-local. He later joined YSRCP and blamed Lokesh for his decision. But the real reason behind his move is said to be a hotel built by his family which is facing problems from the government. Though he shifted his loyalty without any packages or promises, he is now being trolled on social media as a ‘volunteer in the ruling party’. He may be given YSRCP ticket in East, but is highly unlikely to defeat Rammohan.
Break to defections
TDP leaders who have defected to YSRCP are warning those who are considering doing the same to not be hasty. Sources say it is the main reason for the halt to exodus of leaders into the ruling party. The ruling party has not been able to net any big fish from TDP despite aggressively encouraging defections. The economic pressure route too seems to have yielded only limited results. Only the next elections will decide whether the defectors made the right choice or a wrong one.