Bhuma Nagireddy, YSR Congress MLA and once close aide of opposition leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy refused to comment on the speculation that he was leaving the party.
As was revealed by his aides he did not hold the press conference either after his meeting with confidantes at Nandyala. When asked about his possible switchover, he simply said ” Media carries a story a day. How can I deny every story.”
Refusing to speak to media before leaving for Hyderabad, he said he would talk later. According to insiders, the date and venue of the of joining TDP was the reason for the cancelling the press conference today at Nandyala.
In the meeting he held with followers he reportedly discussed all the aspects and consequences and postponed the announcement to some later date.
” The decision has been taken to join the TDP . There won’t be any change. Some suggested to “Nagireddi anna” that he should do it in the presence of chief minister Chandraababu Naidu at Camp Office at Vijayawada as TDP MLAs from Telangana were doing in Hyderabad. Telangana TDP MLAs such as Vivekananda and Errabelli Dayakar & Co chose to announce their decision after meeting the chief minister, who formally invited them into TRS by offering TRS kanduva. Bhuma’s followers want him to enact such a drama instead of making the far flung town of Nandyala as the venue for quitting YSRC. Telugu Desam sources said all most all YSRC MLAs from Kurnool district are expected to bid good bye to Jaganmohan Reddy .
According to sources, YSRC MLAs will join in two batches. One is Bhuma’s batch. The other want to join some time later after finalizing the deal. ” They have their own demands to be met by Naidu’s government. In a couple of constituencies YSRC MLAs have problems with local-level TDP leader. These MLAs want ironing out of these issues,” the sources said.
Reason for quitting the YSRCP
The sources said the main reason for these opposition MLAs choosing to join the TDP is Naidu’s special development fund (SDF) scheme. This scheme envisages release of funds at the rate of Rs 2 crore for the constituency to take up developmental works. TDP government started releasing this amount for the defeated TDP candidates. The defeated candidates would submit a proposals for developmental works to government and the money would be released within hours in the name of TDP leader. No money is released for the local MLA belonging to the YSRC. The idea behind the scheme was that the TDP defeated candidate would become popular in the constituency through these developmental works and at the same time it would make the MLA unpopular. Apart from this, businessmen- MLAs from Opposition party have started feeling suffocated due to lack of financial support from the government to their business. As TDP government has tightened the financial strings, by 2019, the YSRCP MLAs feel , they would become financial bankrupt and would not be in a position to spend money in elections. The only way to overcome the crisis is to sell themselves off to the ruling party. The financial crisis is more acute for the MLAs from weaker sections.
If sources are to be believed, Besides Bhuma Nagireddy and his daughter Akhila Priya, MLAs S V Mohan Reddy ( Kurnool), Mani Gandhi (Kodumur), Jayaramulu ( Aluru) Gowru Charitha Reddy (Panyam), Balanagireddy ( Mantralayam) are also expected to ditch Jagan. Ever since the TDP lost the district in 2014, Naidu has been unhappy over district leadership for the failure. The party won just three-(KE Krishnamurhty (Pathikonda), Jayanageswar Reddy (Yemmiganur) and Janardhan Reddy from Banagani palli) out of 14 assembly seats in the district. The plan is hatched and being carefully executed to take revenge on YSRCP now.