Vijayawada: Labor Minister and Aloor MLA Gummanur Jayaram, who has been asked to contest from Kurnool Lok Sabha seat, is unlikely to follow the YSRC leadership line and move to join the opposition parties.
As part of its ‘Mission 175’, the YSRC has made several changes in its Assembly and Lok Sabha constituency in-charges/coordinators and made Jayaram in-charge of the Kurnool Lok Sabha seat. After not getting a ticket from the party, sitting MP from Kurnool, Dr. S. Sanjeev Kumar has resigned from his post as well as from the party.
According to sources, Jayaram has not been able to be contacted since his appointment as in-charge of Kurnool Lok Sabha seat. The YSRC leadership made efforts to persuade Jayaram but without success.
He is said to be in touch with the TDP leadership, but the opposition party has also refused to allot him the Aloor assembly seat as it belongs to former MLA Kotla Sujathamma.
Now, it seems that Jayaram is considering the option of contesting from Guntakal Assembly constituency in neighboring Anantapur district, which has been offered by the TDP.
Jayaram is also said to be considering joining the Congress, which has shown some signs of revival after YS Sharmila took charge of the party in the state.
On the other hand, if Jayaram does not bow down then YSRC is exploring options. The seat is likely to be given to former MP Butta Renuka, who hails from the Padmashali community. Renuka had won as Kurnool MP in 2014 on YSRC ticket. But, later she joined TDP and rejoined YSRC. Although he was initially assured of the Yemmiganur assembly seat, another leader has been appointed in-charge of the constituency. Now, it is being said that she is trying to get approval from the party to contest from Kurnool Lok Sabha seat.
Sources said that as a former MP from Kurnool, he has a strong hold on the YSRC cadre.
The YSRC is also exploring the option of fielding Kurnool Mayor BY Ramaiah from the Lok Sabha constituency as he belongs to the Valmiki community.
“Jayaram could be the first minister from the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cabinet to leave the YSRC, if he goes ahead with his plans to join the TDP,” a political analyst said.
