With the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections fast approaching, instances of political leaders switching party allegiances are picking up pace.
Brisk activity can be seen at the city offices of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Jana Sena Party (JSP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — with sitting MLAs and MPs shifting loyalties in search of greener pastures.
While some of them have been rewarded for their change in allegiance with a party ticket, a few have found out much to their dismay that there has been little change in their fortunes after crossing over.
The latest in the long line of crossovers is YSRCP MLA from Gudur V. Varaprasad Rao, a retired IAS officer who was denied renomination by YSRCP president and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. After switching over to the BJP, Mr. Varaprasad Rao was promptly rewarded with a Lok Sabha ticket from the Tirupati constituency on the very day of his joining the party.
Two shift to Cong.
YSRCP Nandikotkur legislator Thoguru Arthur and Chintalapudi MLA Unnamatla Eliza joined the Congress in the presence of APCC president Y.S. Sharmila after they were denied tickets by the ruling party. The Congress, meanwhile, is yet to make an announcement on their possible candidature.
Four MLAs, including Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy (Nellore Rural), Anam Ramnarayana Reddy (Venkatagiri), Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy (Udayagiri) and Tadikonda (SC) MLA Undavalli Sridevi, had resigned from the YSRCP and switched loyalties to the TDP. While Mr. Sridhar Reddy and Mr. Ramnarayana Reddy managed to get tickets, Ms. Sridevi failed to do so.
YSRCP Mylavaram MLA Vasanta Krishna Prasad and Penamaluru MLA Kolusu Parthasarathy, who crossed over to the TDP, will be contesting on the TDP tickets this time from the Mylavaram and Nuzvid Assembly constituencies. Tiruvur former MLA Nalagatla Swamydas has quit the TDP to become the YSRCP’s Tiruvur in-charge. Sitting MLA Kokkiligadda Rakshana Nidhi reportedly withdrew from contesting the elections this time.
Kesineni Srinivas (Nani), a TDP veteran who represented the Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency, joined the YSRCP after the TDP decided to field his brother Kesineni Shivnath (Chinni) instead of renominating him.
Six MPs bid adieu
Six MPs have quit the YSRCP. The list includes Kurnool MP Sanjeev Kumar, Narasaraopet MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry, former Rajya Sabha member Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, and Ongole MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy. Mr. Prabhakar Reddy and his wife Vemireddy Prashanti Reddy joined the TDP. While Mr. Prabhakar Reddy will contest from the Nellore Lok Sabha constituency, his wife Ms. Prashanti Reddy will be in the fray from Kovur Assembly constituency in Nellore district.
Narsapuram MP K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, who raised a banner of revolt in the YSRCP, did not join any political party. But, he was expecting that the TDP, JSP or BJP would field him from Narsapuram.
Byreddy Shabari, daughter of Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy quit the BJP to join the TDP. She will contest from the Nandyal Lok Sabha constituency on the TDP ticket. TDP leader Pulaparthi Anjaneyulu joined the JSP, and will contest as its candidate from the Bhimavaam Assembly constituency.
Arani Srinivasulu, a YSRCP leader, joined the JSP to contest as its Tirupati candidate.
In what could be termed as a classic case, former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu announced his decision to quit the YSRCP, just 10 days after joining the ruling party. Similarly, two months after leaving the YSRCP for the Congress, Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy rejoined the party. The YSRCP did not give him a ticket but decided to field a candidate from Backward Classes (BC) in Mangalagiri.
