Large numbers of TD leaders and cadres joined the YSRC in the presence of the chief minister in all the districts.
The third list of candidates released by the TD reportedly led to resentment in the party’s rank and file in key segments in the region. The party chose several candidates with no party background. They were traders and businessmen, or money bags, while senior leaders were allegedly ignored.
Though TD chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu toured the Rayalaseema region, covering Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa areas for the past week, the party failed to pacify the leaders who failed to get the tickets. Notably, the YSRC too had faced a similar situation but the leadership took care to assuage the hurt feelings of those who failed to get the tickets.
TD incharge Umamaheswar Naidu from Kalyandurg Assembly segment quit theTD after the party offered a seat to a contractor who was in no way connected to the party. Uma lamented that the party ignored him even as he was the TD incharge of the segment for the past five years.
Accusing the TD high command of selling the party ticket to a contractor, he joined the YSRC in the presence of Jagan Mohan Reddy during the CM’s visit at Pathikonda.
Another former MLA Athar Chand Bhasha of Kadiri Assembly segment also joined the YSRC in the CM’s presence at Kadiri on Monday night.
A former police officer hoped to get the Puttaparthi ticket from the TD and then joined the YSRC after he was denied the TD ticket. Several leaders from Hindupur, Puttaparthi and Kadapa districts joined the YSRC after quitting the TD during the past five days of the bus yatra.
The TD was still facing a disturbed situation in Anantapur Urban Assembly segment as also in Anantapur LS and Guntakal. The party announced the name of former YSRC minister G. Jayaram from Kurnool district while the cadres from Guntakal opposed the choice. They recalled that Chandrababu Naidu himself accused Jayaram of being a gambler and involved in liquor mafia, but allotted the party ticket to him soon after he quit the YSRC.
During public meetings, Naidu targeted Jagan Mohan Reddy, saying the present government ignored the irrigation sector as also industrial development of Rayalaseema region during the past five years. The major irrigation project, HNSS, was badly neglected and the government failed to complete the pending works in time, he alleged.
Meanwhile, Jagan Mohan Reddy concentrated on the successful implementation of the welfare schemes in a way that the benefits reached the doorsteps of every poor family without any corruption and irregularities during the past five years, claim YSRC leaders.
