The confrontationist attitude being displayed by labour minister Danam Nagender against the Kiran Kumar Reddy government is believed to be part of his strategy to get out of the Congress party.

According to grapevine, Danam is one of the seven ministers named by former Youth Congress president P J Sudhakar Babu, acting as “coverts” of YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. Danam has been behaving aggressively and criticizing the Kiran Kumar Reddy government especially since the results of the by-elections to 18 assembly seats were declared a couple of months ago.

“He has been criticizing the attempts of the Congress party leadership to erase YSR brand from the government programmes. He recently attacked the chief minister for trying to dilute the fee reimbursement scheme. It was his supporters who had raised pro-YSR slogans at Gandhi Bhavan the other day. All these indicate that Danam is picking up quarrel with party leaders only with a plan to quit the Congress and jump into YSR Congress. He is just waiting for an opportune time,” sources said.

Danam, however, said he would continue in the Congress party as long as he is in politics and would strive to bring the party to power. He said he did not mind losing the minister post for the sake of people.

But there are no takers for his claim. It may be mentioned that Nagender had joined the TDP just before 2004 elections and won from Asifnagar seat. He later defected back into the Congress.