Kurnool: Every time Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu visits Kurnool district, it creates a thunderstorm in rival YSRC as to who would be wooed away into the TD. In all the six visits that CM Naidu made to Kurnool this year, Kurnool MP Butta Renuka was singled out to fall into the net laid by the TD. On Monday, the CM is again visiting Kurnool. But this time, the TD has no such luxury.
The crisis in the YSRC Kurnool Parliamentary constituency has been diffused with the confirmatory assurances from party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy that ‘sitting incumbents’ would be rewarded with unity and continuity in the next general elections due in 2019.
Kurnool MP Butta Renuka, Mantralayam MLA Y. Bala Nagi Reddy and Alur MLA G. Jayaram were closeted with Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday and affirmed to stay in the party.
Butta Renuka told Deccan Chronicle that she would continue to be in the party and will contest as MP only in the next general elections. She said she had nurtured her constituency well and the dividends of her good work would be a fortifying addition to the YSRC.
Rumor mills went overboard, particularly after Nandyal bypoll verdict, that YSRC elected representatives in Kurnool would leave the party ‘lock, stock and barrel’. This was buttressed by the fact that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu himself paid half a dozen visits in the last three months and was perceived to be ‘in touch’ with the fence-sitters.
It may be said Butta Renuka may be asked to contest as an MLA in the next general election from Yemmiganur constituency. But she was keen on contesting as an MP only. This was already in the knowledge of the party trouble shooters.
The Prashant Kishor team appears to have advised him to ease out leaders looking for green pastures in the ruling party.
Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, political secretary of Jagan Mohan Reddy, said Kurnool constituency’s elected representatives belonging to YSRC met the party president for 10 minutes and sought his assent to developmental activities taken up under MPLAD funds. He said there was no truth in speculation that MP Butta Renuka is leaving the party.
