Hyderabad: Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu is giving tacit equivalents of ‘no objection certificates’ to party leaders in both the Telugu states, but with a caveat — join the BJP but not the YSRC in AP or the TRS in Telangana state.
The TD leaders who jumped shift after taking such a go-ahead include the four Rajya Sabha members who joined the BJP, had clearly publicly announced that they had informed their decision to join the BJP to Mr Naidu in advance. Rajya Sabha MPs T.G. Venkatesh and Y. ‘Sujana’ Chowdary said that they had “informed Naidu about their decision to join in BJP.”
Without exhibiting any normal political reflex response, the TD top leadership, instead of trying to convince its leaders against leaving the party, just checked and ensured that they were joining the “right party”. It was incredulous that no effort was made at all to prevent them from defecting and ensuring they continued in the party because two of the MPs, C.M. Ramesh and Sujana Chowdary were considered a Man Friday each to Mr Naidu.
The TD party leadership did not try to prevent them from joining the BJP because they were not joining the main rival, the YSRC.
The trend continued to play out in the other Telugu state as well. Former MLA and TD politburo member, Revuri Prakash Reddy, from Telangana, also joined the BJP recently. He too publicly stated that he informed of his decision to Mr Naidu.
Sources said that the party gives partying instructions during these exit interviews. While TD leaders from AP joining the BJP are instructed to fight the YSRC, leaders from Telangana are taught to focus their ire and criticism on TRS.
When the YSRC government started hunting Kodela down on various issues, the TD leadership did not take him seriously, despite repeated requests.
Dr Rao was left to fend for himself in his fight against the YSRC government, which was stacking cases against him, his son and daughter-in-law.
The Palnadu area, which was a strong TD bastion, went to the YSRC in the recent assembly elections. A few months later, the two rivals began a slugfest over Palanadu, hoping to establish their domination over the area’s politics.
Two days ago, when the TD gave a call for ‘chalo Atmakuru’, the YSRC issued a counter on the same slogan. Both parties created tension amongst the people in the region, and elsewhere. The Kodela death has already become controversial, with both parties politicising it.
The TD leaders, including N Chandrababu Naidu, are blaming the YSRC government for the death of Kodela, saying, “the YSRC has harassed Kodela and his family by registering false cases.” But YSRC ministers and leaders are demanding an enquiry into Kodela’s death. The TD gave a call to its party cadre to hold condolence meeting.
