Senior YSR Congress Party leader Balineni Srinivasa Reddy has made it clear to the leadership that he is not in a position to continue as party regional coordinator.
Mr. Srinivasa Reddy, who was closeted with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at Tadepalli for more than 30 minutes on Tuesday, explained to the latter that he would like to restrict himself to Ongole Assembly constituency and to the undivided Prakasam district, sources close to the former Energy Minister said.
Even as the Chief Minister tried to assuage the ruffled feelings of Mr. Srinivasa Reddy, who perceived humiliation to him on different occasions, including at Markapur recently, the latter explained that he was unable to do justice to the post of taking care of the party affairs in the entire south coastal Andhra Pradesh and part of Rayalaseema, as the party was gripped with serious dissidence, particularly in Nellore district, where at least three MLAs had raised the banner of revolt.
Mr. Srinivasa Reddy, who remained incommunicado in the last three days, poured out his woes also to party general secretary and Adviser (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy.
The senior leader, who had been a member of the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet and sailed with Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy during troubled times, was upset after the Chief Minister decided to drop him from the Cabinet mid way through the current term while retaining selectively some members of the previous Cabinet, including A. Suresh, much junior to him in politics.
‘Loss of prominence’
He perceived loss of prominence to him in the State politics, including in the undivided Prakasam district.
Mr. Srinivasa Reddy, a relative of the Chief Minister, had even expressed fear that he might be denied the party ticket to contest the 2024 Assembly elections from Ongole, and that the party might field a woman to contest for the prestigious Assembly seat.
He was shocked when the police personnel asked him to get down from his car and go by walk to the helipad when the Chief Minister visited Markapur as his name did not figure in the list of VIPs as per protocol.
