With elections to the Andhra Pradesh state assembly just 10 months away, it is time for defection of leaders from one party to another to try their luck.
While those in the ruling YSR Congress party are still cautious in taking such steps, leaders from the other parties are looking for the Telugu Desam Party.
According to latest reports, former minister and Dalit leader Ravela Kishore Babu, who jumped from one party to another in the last six years, is now contemplating returning to the TDP, seeking party ticket from Prathipadu assembly constituency in Guntur district.
Kishore Babu, a former IRTS officer, served as social welfare minister during the TDP regime. In 2018, he was dropped from the cabinet by party president and then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu as part of the cabinet reshuffle.
He later joined Jana Sena and contested the 2019 assembly elections from Prathipadu as Jana Sena candidate, but lost to YSRC candidate Mekathoti Sucharita.
He later quit Jana Sena and joined BJP, but within a year, he resigned from BJP amd made a bid to join YSRC.
Finally, in January this year, Kishore Babu, along with Kapu leader Thota Chandrasekhar and others joined Bharat Rashtra Samithi led by Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
But soon, he realised that he has nothing much to do in the BRS and it was floated only to split the anti-establishment vote.
Now, Ravela is said to be sending feelers to the TDP again.
Initially, the TDP leadership was expecting Mekathoti Sucharita to join the party after she was dropped out of the cabinet, so that she could be fielded from Prathipadu.
In fact, Naidu even made an attempt to lure Sucharitha’s husband and IRS officer M Dayasagar into the TDP and offer him party ticket from Bapatla parliamentary constituency.
However, to checkmate Naidu, chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy gave him a nominated post and assured the assembly ticket to Sucharita from Prathipadu.
As a result, both Sucharita and Dayasagar refused to take Naidu’s bait and declared that they would sail with Jagan forever.
Now, Naidu is left with no option but to consider Kishore Babu for the Prathipadu seat, sources said.
