Prominent Kapu leader from Uttarandhra and Minister for Human Resources, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, is likely to quit the Telugu Desam Party. He is unhappy with the TDP, particularly after Andhra Jyothi group released a fresh survey. The survey predicted the TDP’s victory but had seen the defeat of Ganta Srinivasa Rao at Bhimili.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had sent emissaries, deputy chief minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa and Panchakarla Ramesh Babu before he visited Visakhapatnam the other day. The two leaders have tried to pacify the Minister and took him to the Chief Minister’s tour where the Minister had one-to-one meeting with Chandrababu Naidu. Sources said that Ganta had categorically condemned the survey results and attributed it to the Chief Minister. He had reportedly told the Chief Minister that the survey was made by Andhra Jyothi and the results were known to the Chief Minister’s Office before they were made public. However, Chandrababu Naidu had denied having any knowledge of the results and had told the Minister that such reports are common ahead of the elections.
The Minister is now looking at the options of joining the Jana Sena or the YSR Congress. It is said that the Minister is well connected with Jana Sena chief and Chandrababu Naidu took him to the cabinet in 2014 only at the behest of Pawan Kalyan. He had already sent feelers to the Jana Sena chief about his intentions to join the party. While it may not happen now when Pawan Kalyan resumes his tour of Uttarandhra districts on June 26, the sources say that he is keen on quitting the TDP, because of the survey.
“Whatever Andhra Jyothi group says has the prior clearance of Chandrababu Naidu. Andhra Jyothi chief Radha Krishna is in constant touch with the Chief Minister and there is nothing that is reported in that media without Chandrababu Naidu’s clearance,” the Minister had reportedly told some media persons in Visakhapatnam.
Given this statement, it is clear that the Minister is likely to quit the TDP ahead of the elections and join the Jana Sena, while the YSR Congress option too is open.
