YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is understood to have decided not to entertain any defectors from the Telugu Desam Party at least for a couple of years.
According to sources close to party circles, Jagan categorically told the party leaders at the district level not to make any attempts to lure the TDP leaders nor entertain them even if they want to join the YSRC.
Especially, Jagan is not interested in taking any TDP MLA into YSRC. “We have enough numbers and there is no need to invite more MLAs into the party. I don’t want to get any bad name of engineering defections from the TDP,” he reportedly told the party seniors.
However, if any MLA from the TDP wants to join the YSRC, he will impose a condition that he should invariably resign from the party and contest the by-elections. “The defection will be purely at the risk of the MLA,” Jagan reportedly said.
There are reports that the defectors from the TDP who are unlikely to get the opportunity to join the YSRC, are interesting in joining the Bharatiya Janata Party which is the second best option, since the BJP has become an invincible force at the Centre and in future, has the potential to grow as an alternative to the YSRC in Andhra.
It is learnt leaders like J C Diwakar Reddy and brothers from Anantapur and C Adinarayana Reddy from Kadapa have already got in touch with the BJP leadership in New Delhi. If everything works out, they are most likely to join the BJP in a week or two, sources said.
