Senior politician from Prakasam district and former minister Balineni Sriniva Reddy appears to be making efforts to return to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), as he is said to be feeling suffocated in the Jana Sena Party, which he had joined in last year.
According to sources, Balineni reportedly sent feelers to YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, besides initiating backchannel talks through the latter’s mother Y S Vijayamma, with whom he has close relationship. But it is learnt Jagan is not interested in entertaining the former minister’s attempts.
Balineni has been a familiar face in both united Andhra Pradesh and post-bifurcation politics. Known for his aggressive politics in the district, Balineni had held powerful position in the party and controlled Prakasam district politics.
He was first elected from the Ongole constituency in 1999 as a Congress candidate, winning three consecutive terms (1999, 2004, and 2009). He served in the cabinets of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and later, Jagan Mohan Reddy, after moving to the YSRCP.
However, he had been sulking against the party ever since he was denied the cabinet berth in the Jagan government for a second term. Despite this, he remained active in the party until 2023.
However, after losing the elections, Balineni joined the Jana Sena Party. Since then, he has largely remained absent from active politics, especially after tensions with local Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders in Prakasam district resurfaced, despite the TDP-Jana Sena alliance coming to power.
Sources said Balineni continues to function as a de facto opposition leader in the district, despite switching sides. However, neither the Jana Sena nor the TDP leadership reportedly made serious efforts to coordinate with him after his defection.
Despite his switch, Ongole TDP MLA Damacharla Janardhan declared Balineni a political rival and refused to collaborate with him.
Janardhan also succeeded in aligning local leaders like Jana Sena district president Sheikh Riyaz and Kandi Ravishankar to his side, leaving Balineni with only a few loyalists who migrated with him from YSRCP.
With coalition dynamics at play, Pawan Kalyan is said to have advised Balineni to refrain from active involvement in local politics for the time being.
Though there were talks of him being made an MLC and possibly a minister, those promises never materialized. His role within the Jana Sena remains ambiguous, causing uncertainty among his followers.
Observers note that Balineni's political future, and that of his son Praneeth Reddy, may hinge on contesting the next election. Any denial of a ticket due to alliance adjustments could put their political careers at risk. Several local leaders are reportedly hesitant to align with him until his position is clarified.
Political analysts now closely watch whether Balineni will remain in Jana Sena or return to the YSRCP, if he gets green signal from Jagan.
