Jagan Firm on Changing 60 Faces: YSRCP dissidents in disarray

Vijayawada: As the ruling YSRCP is gearing up to release the second list of constituency in-charges by Saturday, those who are now clear that they would not be given another chance are working out their own strategies and are said to be in touch with Jana Sena and TDP leaders.

The response from the TDP-Jana-Sena has been lukewarm as they feel that it might dent their image among the voters if they throw their doors open for the dissidents from the YSRCP. There could even be coverts in the form of dissent leaders, these two parties feel.

In the backdrop of this, the YSRCP disgruntled leaders are said to be looking towards the Congress and may join it if Y S Sharmila becomes the APCC president.

The ruling party, however, is determined to replace at least 50-60 MLAs. The party leadership is making all-out efforts to talk to all the MLAs who are in red book and convince them not to quit the party and was assuring them of suitable posts after coming back to power.

Minister Ushasri Charan, who is representing Kalyanadurgam at present, stated that she is going to contest from Penukonda as directed by Chief Minister and that the Kalyanadurgam seat will be allotted to a leader from Valmiki caste.

Enraged over this, party cadre started staging protests in Satyasai district over the change of sitting MLA Sankaranarayana from Penukonda and allotting the seat to Ushasricharan. Some of the leaders said that they would resign from the party.

In Kadiri, the cadre came out with slogans demanding that sitting MLA Sidda Reddy be retained and if the high command changes the candidate, then they would resign en masse from the party.

The possibility of replacing the incumbent MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy with Janga Krishnamurty is also under consideration. Janga had convened a meeting of all his followers on Thursday but had to cancel it as he got a call from the CMO to report there and meet the Chief Minister.

Other leaders who were summoned by the CMO to reach Tadepally camp office were former minister Perni Nani and Gorantla Madhav. Similarly, Balineni Srinivas Reddy was also called to the CM camp office.

He held talks with MP Vijayasai Reddy and later both of them met Jagan together. Balineni later told the media that there would be no change in his constituency.

In Rayadurgam constituency of Anantapur, sources said Kapu Ramachandra Reddy may be replaced with Mettu Govind Reddy. Similarly, the name of senior leader Samantakamani is being considered for the Singanamala constituency in place of incumbent J Padmavati. In case Samantakamani does not agree, someone from her family may be given the ticket. The party is also considering change of MLA in Madakasira. In place of Tippeswamy, the name of a police CI Subha Kumar is said to be under consideration.

The YSRCP is said to have told the likely candidates to deposit some money in the party account and also target Chandrababu Naidu during the campaign.

The party leaders, who summoned Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy from Prakasam district, are said to have asked him to launch high octane criticism against Naidu in seven Assembly constituencies under his Parliamentary constituency, hold media conferences in Amaravati and Delhi as well. It is being speculated that Reddy is in touch with the TDP and may switch loyalties.