Gokaraju in YSRC to checkmate Raghurama Raju?

The decision of the former Narasapuram MP and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gokaraju Ganga Raju to quit the party and defect into the YSR Congress party has raised many an eyebrow.

Ganga Raju, along with his son Rama Raju and brother Narasimha Raju and other family members and followers, is going to meet YSRC president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday and formally join the party.

Though Ganga Raju’s family members evinced interest in joining the YSRC much before the last general elections and approached Jagan, they could not gain entry into the party for various reasons. 

By that time, then Telugu Desam Party leader K Raghurama Krishnam Raju had already joined the YSRC and was promised the party ticket from Narsapuram parliamentary constituency.

Since Ganga Raju and Raghurama Raju have traditional rivalry, Jagan thought taking the former into the party would jeopardise the party’s interest in the elections.

In the recent past, there have been reports that Raghurama Krishnam Raju is getting closer to the BJP and has given the impression that he is defying the YSRC party line.

His speech in Lok Sabha supporting the need to continue Telugu as the medium of instruction has created ripples in the party and Jagan called for an explanation from the MP.

Though Raju has given his explanation, Jagan was not happy. In yet another instance, the YSRC leadership was angry with the MP for defying the rule that no MP should meet the Prime Minister or central ministers directly, without the knowledge of parliamentary party leader V Vijay Sai Reddy and another MP P Mithun Reddy.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju not only met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home minister Amit Shah, but also greeted them, much to the irritation of Jagan. Probably to checkmate the MP, the YSRC leadership is learnt to have invited Gokaraju and family into the party.

It remains to be seen what Raghurama Krishnam Raju will do now!