KAKINADA/HYDERABAD: Even though Jaganmohan Reddy has claimed that he won't initiate any moves to destabilise the Congress government led by Kiran Kumar Reddy, the Jagan camp is making all efforts to lure more number of ruling party MLAs paving the way for the fall of the Kiran government. Sources said senior leaders in the Jagan camp were working out ways and means to undermine the Congress roots in East and West Godavari districts, which are traditionally party strongholds. A Congress MLA of Jagan camp said several legislators in the ruling party were biding their time. "Once Jagan announces formation of his new party, they would quit their posts and join him," he said.
Sources said the Jagan camp MLAs would be more than happy to enter the poll arena as they know that the public sympathy for late CM YSR would help them easily defeat the Congress candidates in the event of a mid-term poll. "No wonder they keep saying that they are ready for the battle and want the Congress ministers and legislators to accept the challenge," sources said.
Apart from the six MLAs from both Godavari districts who have expressed their unstinted support to Jagan, five more MLAs -- Raja Ashok Babu (Tuni), Rapaka Vara Prasad (Razole) and Ponnada Sathish (Mummidivaram) in East Godavari and Maddala Rajesh (Chintalapudi) and Pulavarthi Ramanjaneyulu (Bhimavaram) in West Godavari -- are all set to join the Jagan group.
Already, Pilli Subhaschandra Bose (Ramachandrapuram), N Sesha Reddy (Anaparthi) and Dwarampudi Chandrsekhara Reddy (Kakinada) in EG and three MLAs out of nine -- Alla Nani (Eluru), B Prasada Raju (Narasapuram) and Balaraju (Polavaram) in WG -- have aligned with Jagan and participated in his programmes.
Sources said P Rajeswari, MLA of Gannavaram in EG, is in a dilemma. But Congress workers have advised her to quit the party and join the Jagan group immediately. "The Congress is a sinking ship and during the elections, the party would be wiped out in the Jagan storm," a Jagan camper said.
Insiders said Rajahmundry MLA Rowthu Surya Prakasa Rao has also sent feelers to the Jagan camp expressing his willingness to join them. But the Jagan camp firmly knows that Rowthu would lose his constituency in the next elections and hence, sees no need to accommodate him in the new party. "The yardstick is winnability and support base for the candidate among the masses. Jagan is banking on those who would make the going easy for him," a political analyst said.
