ANANTAPUR: With the YSR Congress asking sitting MLAs, MPs and leaders to deposit huge amounts if they wish to contest the upcoming polls on the party tickets, many leaders are opting for the Telugu Desam instead.
According to sources, an MP aspirant from Rayalaseema region backtracked after he was directed to deposit 25 crore rupees with the YSRC while another aspirant from a SC reserved segment received a similar demand to deposit at least rupees 5 crore to contest on a YSR Congress party ticket.
YSR Congress chief Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy apparently does not want to take a financial risk and is thus picking candidates who are able to spend huge amounts in the elections, sources said. In Kurnool district, a sitting MLA who had been a close aide of Mr Jagan since the formation of YSRC, decided to shift to the TD as he was unwilling to spend a minimum of rupees 10 crore.
A senior leader from Kurnool district observed that the TD was in dire straits and was not looking at the candidates’ financial backgrounds as opposed to the YSR Congress which was demanding huge deposits.
Sources said that only a few sitting MLAs of the YSR Congress have been exempted from depositing huge amounts.
Tadipathri MLA J.C. Diwakar Reddy had criticised Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party men for demanding huge funds. While it had been rumoured that Mr Diwakar Reddy had tried to shift loyalties to the YSRC, he reversed his decision and is now going to join the Telugu Desam. “The YSRC just wanted to collect money,” he alleged.
Many second-rung YSRC leaders are angry with the party high command for encouraging only aspirants with sound financial backgrounds.
The situation is the worst in the Hindupur Assembly segment where most of the secondary leaders of the YSR Congress are opposing the leadership of Mr Naveen Nischal as in-charge because several leaders had sacrificed their services since the party launched. A group of YSR Congress party leaders are, in fact, planning to field a rebel candidate.
