YSRCP finds friend in BJP

​Amaravati: There are no permanent friends and enemies in politics. This is what BJP Floor Leader P Vishnukumar Raju has proved with his gesture of joining the YSRC-sponsored protest over the alleged highhanded behavior of the TDP leaders with the top brass of the Transport Department on the Assembly premises on Monday.

YSRC MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy staged a sit-in at the main gate outside the Assembly in the run up to the commencement of the session, demanding the arrest of TDP MP Kesineni Srinivas (Nani), city MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao and MLC Buddha Venkanna for their alleged involvement in intimidation of the Transport Department Commissioner N Balasubramanyam.

“Our party calls a spade a spade and the action of TDP leaders deserves condemnation from everyone beyond political affiliations,” Raju told the media after he got down from his car then he walked up to the protesting MLA and extended support to the YSRC leader. The BJP’s gesture gave the much-needed fillip to the YSRC which was singled out in the offensive launched by the treasury benches during the current session on one issue or the other.

Vishnukumar Raju, talking to The Hans India, said, “I extended my support for justice but not for any particular party and I hope this will not go against the tenets of our alliance with the TDP”. Government Chief Whip Kalva Srinivasulu said Raju’s gesture is not unusual when CM himself found fault with the TDP leaders’ action.

The TDP and the BJP are intending to downplay the incident which saw Vishnukumar Raju break the political barriers to join the protest of the YSRC to assail the erring leaders from the ally. But it shows up signs of the BJP being soft to YSRC chief Jagan and its growing ambition to emerge out of Naidu’s shadow as part of its endeavour to be a major political player in the 2019 general elections.

The results of MLC elections which saw the BJP secure a seat in Uttarandhra and the TDP loses all the four seats in Rayalaseema and the party’s massive victory in the Assembly elections in the north obviously gave a shot in the arm for the BJP in the State.

A senior BJP state leader cited the votes polled by his party candidate and the TDP’s nominee in council elections in West Rayalaseema while focusing on the dwindling mass base of the TDP.

The BJP’s candidate in teacher’s constituency in West Rayalaseema O Srinivasa Reddy stood second place by securing 6,040 votes while the TDP got relegated to the last position, he recalled while driving the point home that the election is a clear indication that the TDP is getting alienated from the educated middleclass sections and growing anti-government sentiment.

In the light of the BJP’s focus on the south after the victory in the north, Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the state for three days soon with an agenda to concentrate on strengthening the party organisational structure right from the booth level.

The sailing for the BJP with the TDP is not so smooth in the last three years in the government. A feeling dominates the BJP rank and file that the party is playing a second fiddle to the TDP in formation of Janmabhoomi committees and selection of beneficiaries for the welfare programmes like housing.

Although the party has two ministers in the TDP government holding the medical and health and endowments department, the BJP failed to find its members on the hospital development committees and trust boards, except a lone member in the TTD board.