Telugu Desam publicly lures YSRC legislators

Guntur: Telugu Desam leaders are wooing YSR Congress legislators over to their party in full public view. Telugu Desam MP of Narasaraopeta Rayapati Sambasiva Rao created a flutter on Sunday when he asked YSRC MLA of Guntur East Md Mustafa to join the TD during a private programme here. Earlier too, TD MLC A. Satish Prabhakar had asked YSRC MLA of Bapatla Kona Raghupathi to join the TD. According to sources, TD has its eye on three YSRC MLAs of Guntur district.

The wooing strategy also seems to include the lure of a ministerial post for Mr Mustafa. Minister for medical and health K. Srinivas, who had come to Guntur to participate in the BJP meeting and several private programmes, was joined by Mr Sambasiva Rao, former MLC R. Srinivas, Mr Mustafa, YSRC state spokesperson Ambati Rambabu and other TD leaders at the inauguration of a private hospital at Old Club road on Sunday. It was at this event that Mr Sambasiva Rao struck up a conversation with Mr Mustafa, asking him to join the TD and also guaranteeing him the provision of a ticket in the 2019 elections. The MP explained to Mr Mustafa the chan-ces of developing a constituency with the help of government funds.

People attending the programme hovered around, keen to listen in to this conversation between Mr Sambasiva Rao and Mr Mustafa, which effectively silenced the two politicians. Eavesdroppers pointed out that earlier, the party used to be somewhat more discreet in these matters earlier, but now, TD's culture had changed if they were luring Opposition MLAs publicly.

Meanwhile, some senior TD leaders said on condition of anonymity that the party had cleared the way for the YSRC MLA from Palnadu to join the TD: they were waiting to get approval from a senior TD legislator of that region. They added that there were five YSRC MLAs in Guntur district out of which three had fallen into the TD trap, and this could weaken the Opposition party in the district.