YSRCP seems to be determined to clean sweep TDP in Visakhapatnam. Maybe it is apprehending trouble from TDP if it has a strong presence in view of capital being shifted to the port city. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is said to be keen to encourage defections from TDP only in Visakhapatnam as it will be politically beneficial. It will also blunt the argument of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu that even the people of Visakhapantam are against shifting of capital.
It may be recalled that Leonews.com published a report on the exodus of TDP leaders on September 5.
Doors are open
Vizag South MLA Vasupalli Ganesh joined YSRCP in the presence of Jagan at Tadepalli today. Technically he may not join the party, but for all practical purposes he will sail with the ruling party. Ganesh had been keeping aloof from party activities for some months now. He is following the footsteps of other TDP defectors like Vamsi, Karanam Balaram, Maddali Giri in not joining YSRCP formally.
In fact, TDP leaders in the district are worried over their political future. They fear that people may reject them if they oppose capital in Vizag as per party line. The YSRCP is cashing in on these fears. Leaders like Panchakarla Ramesh have already joined YSRCP. Though YSRCP leaders like Muttamsetti Srinivas and V Vijayasai Reddy are not happy with this exodus of TDP leaders into the party, they are keeping mum in view of Chief Minister’s intentions.
TDP has four MLAS in Visakhapatnam. Ganta Srinivasa Rao has severed all ties with the party. Vasupalli is now joining the YSRCP. With this, Ganababu of Vizag West and Velagapudi Ramakrishna of Vizag East remain in TDP. Minister Kodali Nani has already been making efforts to bring Velagapudi into the ruling party. As a sign of his future course, Velagapudi Ramakrishna has also been keeping distance from the TDP activities. (Leo News already published a story on the possible defection of Ramakrishna)
Fate of TDP
TDP won North, East, West and South constituencies in Vizag. But it may lose all of them to the ruling party. If all the MLAs defected and some key leaders too followed their suit, then the party which once ruled the roost in the city, will find itself in a tight spot in the city and the district.
