Nehru set to leave YSRC for TD

Kakinada: One more shock is around the corner for the Opposition YSR Congress with two of the party’s MLAs — Jyothula Venkatappa Rao, better known as Nehru, and Varupula Subba Rao — are set to shift their loyalties and join the ruling TD.

Mr Nehru is the YSRC deputy Floor leader and the party’s district president. The two MLAs interacted with their supporters in their respective constituencies and have taken the decision to join the TD.

While Mr Subba Rao had declared that he would be joining the TD, Mr Nehru has said that he would follow his followers’ wishes.

Mr Subba Rao told this newspaper that he has not take any decision yet, but they (Mr Nehru and him) were eliciting the opinion of their followers and would take a final decision later.

Meanwhile, one more YSRC MLA, V. Rajeswari of Rampachodavaram, made it clear that she would not be joining the TD and would continue in YSRC under the leadership of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, her followers insist that she would be also joining the TD soon.

Interestingly, YSRC MLA Chevireddy Bhaskara Reddy met Mr Nehru at his residence in Irripaka village in Jaggampet constituency on Sunday and tried to convince the latter not to desert the party, according to sources.  The sources said that Mr Nehru made it clear that he would take a decision based on his followers’ wishes.

The sources said that Mr Bhaskara Reddy urged him to speak to Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy on the phone, but Mr Nehru was reluctant to do so.

Plum post offered to Nehru to switch

The Telugu Desam Party has offered a minister’s or cabinet rank post to Jaggampet MLA and also YSRC district president Jyothula Venkata Appa Rao (Nehru), say sources within TD, whose leaders have mediated through Varupula Subba Rao to convince Nehru to join.

Sources said that state finance minister Yanamala Ramakrish-nudu wants to go to the centre by getting Rajya Sabha membership in days to come.

After this development, Jyothula may get a cabinet berth in chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet, which is Nehru’s dream.

According to followers of Nehru, Chandrababu had promised him a cabinet berth when he toppled NT Ramarao’s government in 1995. But he had not fulfilled his promise.

In 2009, when cine actor Chiranjeevi floated the Praja Rajyam Party, Mr Nehru joined it and was defeated by Congress candidate Thota Venkata Narasimham, who is now TD’s Kakinada MP.

He later joined YSRC and won in the elections as MLA from Jaggampet constituency. When Mr Nehru shifted to PRP, he was TD district president. Now, he is YSRC district president. “If Jyothula joins TD, he will become very influential as a Kapu leader, raising his voice against other Kapu leaders, such as Mudragada Padmana-bham and also dictating the course of  upland politics in the district,” said a follower of Mr Nehru.

Meanwhile,  sand and soil mining are said to be pushing YSRC leaders to join the Telugu Desam Party. It is alleged that the sand and soil mafia is being run  with the knowledge of TD leaders. YSRC and TD leaders have mingled socially and shared the spoils of sand and soil mining.