After securing a second term from Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency, TDP leader Kesineni Srinivas – popularly known as Nani – is miffed, and is mulling switching over to the BJP. Those close to him say that he has been approached by the BJP, although he is yet to decide his next move. However, those in the BJP say they have enough and more MPs, and have not approached anyone to engineer a defection.
"It's not yet confirmed whether Nani will join the BJP. We were approached by the BJP. They are not offering anything but are asking if we are interested," said a close aide of the MP.
Nani looking for greener pastures comes at a time when the TDP has taken a beating in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra. The party has just three seats out of 25 in the Lok Sabha, and just 23 out of 117 seats in the state Assembly. Nani believes he deserves better in the party, as he won despite the party losing out in the Assembly segments of Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency. The TDP leader defeated YSRCP candidate Potluri Varaprasad by a margin of 8,726 votes.
“In TDP’s history, no leader has won Vijayawada for a second time. The victory was achieved despite a Jagan wave. After the victory, Srinivas wanted a better post, it was a fair demand," said the aide of the MP.
The leader had sought the post of TDP Parliamentary party leader or floor leader, but was overlooked in favour of Guntur MP Galla Jayadev and Srikakulam MP Rammohan Naidu respectively.
"When the meeting for discussions on the Parliamentary party leader and floor leader was happening, the whip post was not even on their agenda. Only when the BJP approached us did they offer the whip post. It's a compensation that has no value. Now, he wants no party post," said the source.
While rejecting the offer of the whip post, Nani sarcastically told the media, "I thank Sri Chandrababu Naidu garu for appointing me as Party Whip in Lok Sabha. But I humbly request him to appoint someone else who is more capable and efficient than me to that post, as I feel I’m not suitable to handle the responsibilities of such a big post."
The BJP meanwhile is amused by the infighting brewing in the TDP. The party denied having approached any of the three TDP MPs to defect, but is not averse to the idea of anyone defecting on their own.
"What is the necessity for BJP to approach someone in the TDP? There is no requirement for the BJP to approach anyone," said Penmetsa Vishnu Kumar Raju, a former BJP MLA, "These kinds of discussions, if at all they take place, will not be at the state level. May be a sympathiser could have talked to them, but that can’t be treated as an official or serious invite. It depends on what level people are talking. The BJP on its own has 303 seats and doesn’t need to approach others to join the party, but if others want to join on their own it’s a different issue.”