HYDERABAD: At a time when the byelections are round the corner, the Congress suffered yet another setback with two of its MLAs, Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy (Kakinada Urban) and Savarapu Jayamani (Paravathipuram), switching loyalty to Jagan. Animal husbandry minister Pinepe Viswarup (Amalapuram) too extended support to Vijayamma.Eluru MLA Alla Nani, who did a bit of hide and seek after meeting Jagan on the day of his arrest last Sunday, declared he was joining the YSRC, after meeting him at Chanchalguda prison on Thursday. Nani said he had resigned from his membership of the Assembly and he would take part in the YSRC campaign for bypolls. Chandrasekhar Reddy and Jayamani met YS Vijaya Lakshmi and her daughter Sharmila on Thursday during their campaign in Visakhapatnam district. The two MLAs expressed their solidarity with Vijayamma and Sharmila in their “hour of crisis”.Later, speaking to media persons, Chandrasekhar Reddy said he could not stay in the Congress while the family of the late YSR , who had helped him grow in public life, suffered. Jayamani said she could not stand the tears in Vijaya Lakshmi’s eyes and had decided to stay with her.Switching of loyalties by Chandrasekhara Reddy and Jayamani did not come as any surprise for the ruling party as both the legislators have been maintaining close relations with the YSR Congress leadership for quite some time. Earlier, Bobbili MLA R Venkata Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao resigned his membership of the Assembly in support of Jagan on Wednesday.With Jayamani joining hands with Jagan, the number of desertions from the ruling party in Vizianagaram district, the home district of the PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, has gone up to two. Kurupam legislator and minister Sathrucharla Vijayamma Raju’s nephew Thatraj Janardhan’s name is also doing the rounds as a likely defector to Jagan camp. However,sources in the Congress say chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Sathrucharla were trying to impress upon Janardhan to stay with the Congress.Viswarup called on Vijayamma during her campaign in Visakhapatnam district on Thursday. Viswarup, who spoke to reporters soon after meeting Jagan’s mother, said it was his duty to support Vijayamma since YS Rajasekhara Reddy gave him political life. He made it clear that he would take a final decision on extending solidarity with Vijayamma in the next two days.Camp managers of the ruling party are trying to persuade the other disgruntled MLAs, who are moving closely with YSRC leaders, to stay back in the Congress.Meantime, the PCC chief Botcha made light of the switch-over of Chandrasekhar Reddy and Jayamani. Botcha, who was campaigning in East Godavari district on Thursday, said, “We don’t care if any number of MLAs quit the party. Congress only gives priority to ethics and moral values.”The Cong high command took stock of the situation in AP in aftermath of Jagan arrest. CM and PCC chief, who have started their second leg of campaigning on Thursday, are believed to have sent reports to the party high command over the recent desertions from the party.
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