It is election time in Andhra Pradesh and is also time for “Aya Rams and Gaya Rams” to change their coats to suit their political exigencies.
Following reports that YSR Congress party has a clear edge over the ruling Telugu Desam Party in the ensuing assembly elections, leaders are making a beeline to Lotus Pond, the residence of YSRC president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to join his party.
Most of these defectors are from the TDP, where they have bleak chances of getting the party tickets to contest.
Close on the heels of Anakapalle MP Muthamsettin Srinivas alias Avanthi Srinivas, who quit the TDP and joined the YSRC, another TDP MP – Pandula Ravindra Babu from Amalapuram constituency in East Godavari district resigned from the party and joined YSRC in the presence of Jagan at Lotus Pond on Monday.
Apparently, Ravindra Babu got a clear message from TDP president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu that he would not be given party ticket for Amalapuram Lok Sabha seat in the coming elections.
After meeting Jagan, Ravindra said he had joined the YSRC only for the development of the state and not for his personal gains.
However, Jagan also expressed his helplessness to give him the party ticket for MP seat, but assured to accommodate him in any of the assembly constituencies in the district.
Former Union minister Killi Krupa Rani from Tekkali is also expected to join the YSRC in a day or two.
So is the case with former Anakapalle MP and former minister Konathala Ramakrishna, who has not been getting any positive signal from the Telugu Desam Party till date.
He is also willing to stage a comeback into the YSRC at the earliest, sources said.
