Parting ways with the YSR Congres Party (YSRCP) seems to be inevitable in the present situation for former Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy who is sticking to his guns on his decision to resign as the party’s regional coordinator even after intervention by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Cabinet rejig
Mr. Srinivasa Reddy, who has been calling the shots in the party especially in the undivided Prakasam district after quitting the Congress in 2011, felt alienated following the emergence of alternative power centres in the party after he was dropped from the State Cabinet midway through the current term even as A. Suresh from Yerragondapalem retained his berth in the Cabinet, according to sources close to Mr. Srinivasa Reddy.
Mr. Suresh now holds the key portfolio of Municipal Administration.
The angry reaction to the ouster of Mr. Srinivasa Reddy from the Cabinet by his supporters, who torched the effigy of the YSRCP general secretary and Adviser to the Government (Public Affairs) Sajalla Ramakrishna Reddy, has created a permanent rift with the party leadership.
Though denial of his entry into the helipad by police personnel during the visit of the Chief Minister to Markapur recently came as the immediate cause for the action of his quitting as YSRCP regional coordinator, Mr. Srinivasa Reddy was not at all comfortable from the beginning in handling the party affairs in the districts of Nellore, Tirupati and Chittoor, where Ministers Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy ruled the roost respectively, sources explained.
The YSRCP leader is also facing trouble covertly from Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman and former Ongole MP Y.V.Subba Reddy and the incumbent Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, who nurture their own second-rung leaders in Prakasam district, leaving Mr.Srinivasa Reddy fuming.
Charges and counter
Mr. Srinivasa Reddy has been accused by the YSRCP leadership of encouraging groupism in the party and working against the sitting YSRCP MLAs or party in-charges appointed in the seats held by the opposition TDP, sabotaging the party’s interests in the district.
However, Mr. Srinivasa Reddy denied the charges but could not hide his displeasure as some YSRCP MLAs to whom he had ensured the party ticket to contest the 2019 elections are said to have turned hostile now and speaking ill about him to the Chief Minister.
Future course of action
‘’In the present situation, there is no future in the YSRCP for the outspoken MLA, an erstwhile Cabinet colleague of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the united Andhra Pradesh,” says a follower Mr. Srinivasa Reddy, dropping hints that the Jana Sena Party (JSP) has sent feelers to their leader.
“Our leader (Mr. Srinivasa Reddy) will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time,” some supporters adds.
JSP president Pawan Kalyan praising Mr. Srinivasa Reddy as a ‘‘leader with credibility’‘ shows his soft corner for the latter.
The TDP is also waiting in the wings to woo the disgruntled YSRCP leader to pay back in the same coin the ruling party, which won over to its side Mr. Srinivasulu Reddy, then TDP national vice-president by giving the party ticket for Ongole Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
