Vijayawada: Ruling YSR Congress is taking to the dictum – offence is the best form of defence – to quickly and firmly deal with dissidence in the party. Party leadership wants to contain the rebellion to within Nellore district, without letting it spread to other areas.
As part of it, the ruling party leaders, including ministers and legislators, have increased their attacks against the three rebel MLAs in Nellore district. Undeterred, however, rebel MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy is continuing his tirade against the YSRC and the state government. He is even preparing ground to proceed legally against the party and government.
In addition, Sridhar Reddy is trying to take away all YSRC cadres, with Nellore mayor Potluri Sravanthi already announcing her support to the rebel MLA. Countering this, the ruling party has started efforts to keep Nellore Municipal Corporation corporators within the YSRC. They have succeeded in that Nellore 22nd division corporator Vijaybhaskar Reddy, a known follower of Sridhar Reddy, has revolted against the rebel MLA and has even lodged a kidnap complaint against the Nellore Rural MLA in Vedayapalem police station.
According to sources, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has held a meeting with close aides, including party general-secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy. Senior leaders pointed out that at present, dissent is noticeable in Nellore district, with some simmering in countable segments of remaining districts. They feel if the party fails to initiate measures to control growing dissent, then groupism could grow in coming days, which will not be good in view of 2024 elections.
The YSRC chief has asked party leaders to strongly condemn the phone tapping allegations and accordingly ministers, legislators and others leaders have counter attacked rebels, including Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, asking them to release proof of phone-tapping. They are asking the rebels to lodge complaints with the Union government, CBI or any other agency, thereby trying to undermine the credibility of those alleging phone-tapping.
Sources, however, have made it clear that party high-command is in no mood to suspend or expel Sridhar Reddy from party, as it will give him a golden chance to join the TD and strengthen his base in Nellore rural segment before the next elections.
They point out that when the then chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu lured 23 opposition YSRC MLAs to his side and offered some ministerial berths, Jagan did not initiate any stern action against the turncoats. They point out that similar is the case with regard to rebel MP K. Raghurama Krishnam Raju and MLA Anam Ramanarayana Reddy.
Rebels will, however, be side-lined by appointing new YSRC incharges for areas that the dissidents dominate. This will also provide opportunity to new incharges to strengthen their positions before the next elections.
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