There appears to be more to YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s decision to take up his three-day deeksha from May 16 to 18 at Kurnool, than what meets the eye.
Jagan’s deeksha is aimed at protesting the illegal construction of Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Dindi lift irrigation schemes on Krishna river in Mahbubnagar, since they would adversely affect the irrigation interests of Andhra Pradesh, particularly Krishna delta. So, if at all Jagan has to take up the fast, he has to do it in Mahbubnagar district.
But, Jagan does not get any political mileage if he takes up his deeksha in Mahbubnagar, since his main objective is to not to confront Telagnana government, but to trouble his rival, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Moreover, if he may not get permission to take up deeksha in Mahbubnagar district, since it will whip up passions in Telangana. Hence, Kurnool.
And there is also another reason. Jagan has received a major setback in Kurnool district in the recent past, as his party MLAs – Bhuma Nagi Reddy, Akhila Priya and S V Mohan Reddy – defected to the TDP along with their cadre. The party is in serious crisis in the district.
So, he wants to fight back against the TDP in the same district by luring the disgruntled TDP leaders into the YSR Congress party. Indications are that former ministers Erasu Pratap Reddy and T G Venkatesh, who had defected from the Congress into the TDP, are ready to join the YSRC because they are not getting enough recognition in the TDP. So, that is the strategy!
