TDP touchy about party hoppers

Vijayawada: A major churning is on among the YSRCP leaders as party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had made it clear that there could be large-scale changes in the candidates and over 30 of the sitting MLAs may not be given tickets this time.

Sources said that MLAs from Kakinada, Jaggampeta, Repalle, Pattipadu in East Godavari district and Pithapuram are some of the constituencies where the local leaders are looking for greener pastures. In the wake fast-changing political equations and after seeing the mood of the YSRCP leadership and the mood of the people, many leaders, including those who fear that they would not get tickets, have become migratory birds and looking towards the opposition TDP. Some are also exploring the possibility to join the JSP.

This has resulted in a major problem for the TDP-JS combine. The TDP cannot ignore the flag-bearers who faced several cases foisted by the government and still stood by the party. The party feels that if they lay red carpet to such leaders, it would adversely affect the poll

prospects of the TDP-JSP combine.

TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh is also learnt to have told party national president N Chandrababu Naidu that they should be highly selective and cautious in admitting anyone from the YSRCP.

The party leaders also feel that the TDP cannot be a platform for YSRCP leaders to wash their ‘sins’.

According to TDP spokesperson Pattabhiram, these leaders have realised that they have lost the confidence of the people and hence want to quit the YSRCP and join the TDP.

Bribe rant goes viral

Meanwhile, a video of Tahsildar Murshavali in Satyasai district explaining in detail to a farmer the reason why he was asking for bribe had caused embarrassment for the government. The Tahsildar said whenever ministers or senior officials visit the districts, they are told to make arrangements for their food according to the menu suggested by them. He read out some of the items of the menu. He said, no money is released by the government for this expenditure. As the video went viral, the government immediately suspended him.

This has come as a political weapon for the TDP-Jana Sena. The TDP chief on Monday wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary saying that the suspension of the Tahsildar was not the solution. He said the entire government system was in deep malaise. The government instead of suspending the Tahsildar should have initiated corrective measures in the system.