The other day, firebrand YSR Congress party leader and state minister for tourism and culture R K Roja gave an interview to a popular television channel, in which she categorically said there was no competitor for her in her Nagari constituency.
“There is no question of the party leadership denying the ticket to me in the next assembly elections. I have been loyal to the party right from the inception and a senior MLA of the party twice from Nagari. Who else will get the party ticket from Nagari, if not me?” she said, answering a question.
But on Wednesday, Roja along with her husband Selvamani met party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and closeted with him for some time.
She is learnt to have expressed her grievance over the importance being given to her rival group within the party in Nagari constituency.
According to party sources, Roja is learnt to have complained to Jagan that her rival Chakrapani Reddy group was conducting official programmes and party activities without her knowledge and without inviting her.
For example, on October 16, Chakrapani Reddy inaugurated Rythu Bharosa Kendrams and Wellness Centres in Nagari without even informing her or inviting her to the meetings. She openly criticised Reddy in a video that was released to the local media.
Roja is said to be apprehensive that Chakrapani Reddy, who has the backing of senior minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, might be lobbying for the party ticket from Nagari in the next elections and she might be dropped.
Though she is also actively participating in the Gadapa Gadapakoo Prabhutvam programme, Reddy is trying to project a wrong report to the chief minister by managing the local survey team, so that she won’t get the ticket in the next elections.
There is also a talk that Jagan is not happy with Roja taking part in reality shows in ETV even after becoming the minister and that too in ETV that belongs to his rival Ch Ramoji Rao.
It is not immediately known what Jagan told Roja during the Wednesday’s meeting, but she left Tadepalli camp office without talking to media.
