Upset netas take cover in rival parties in AP

By M H Ahssan

Maganti Babu Joins TDP, S V Subba Reddy And Mudragada In Congress Camp

In another day of politicians switching loyalties from one party to another, former Congress minister Maganti Venkateswara Rao (Babu), who represents Denduluru assembly constituency in West Godavari district, joined the TDP while former TDP minister and Pattikonda MLA S V Subba Reddy from Kurnool and Mudragada Padmanabham from East Godavari district joined the Congress.

Maganti Venkateswara Rao came in a big procession to NTR Trust Bhavan along with his two sons and a large number of followers. Addressing them in the presence of TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, he said the chief minister had humiliated him by unceremoniously removing him from the council of ministers. The defeat of party candidate in local body elections could not have been the real reason for him being dumped.

If that was so, then even major irrigation minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah should have been dropped, he said. “I would not have felt bad if Reddy had told me my performance was not up to his expectations. But he offered no reason.”

In the past five years, Reddy had alienated the Kamma community in the district, Rao said. He charged the CM with encouraging groupism, which saw to it that he was denied a berth in the cabinet in the first instance, later he was inducted and was given minor irrigation department. Rao said the last straw came when he was refused Eluru Lok Sabha ticket. Admitting him into the party, Naidu expressed hope that it would further strengthen the TDP in West Godavari district. Rao will contest from Eluru Lok Sabha seat.

Later former TDP ministers S V Subba Reddy from Kurnool and Mudragada Padmanabham from East Godavari district joined Congress party. Subba Reddy was the lone TDP candidate to win from Pattikonda constituency in Kurnool in 2004. Subba Reddy who is retiring from electoral politics wanted that his son be given the ticket.

TDP favoured K E Prabhakar from the district. Upset over this, Subba Reddy with his son quit TDP. He alleged that he felt suffocated in TDP as there was “no internal democracy’’ in the party.

Subba Reddy’s entry into Congress sparked protest from another strong group in Kurnool led by K Suryaprakash Reddy. Subba Reddy’s son will be fielded from Pattikonda assembly seat by the Congress party.

Padmanabham was inactive in the district for long time but the Congress hopes that he will be useful in preventing erosion of BC votes in the district by PRP.