Kadapa, April 13: The Congress, which has taken the battle to the late YSR’s son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s home turf in Kadapa, on Tuesday weaned away Badvel MLA P Kamalamma, the former MP’s loyalist, from his camp to its fold.
The party is said to have cleverly exploited “a feeling of neglect” that had gripped Kamalamma. She had been miffed with Jagan for giving “undue importance” to former MLA Govinda Reddy in her constituency. Her exclusion from consultations on the itinerary of Jagan’s poll campaign in Badvel constituency proved to be the last straw or at least that was the official reason cited for Kamalamma’s turncoat act.
After two days of dithering over whether to sail along with Jagan, the legislator finally switched loyalties this morning. She met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in the State capital and even expressed her willingness to campaign for Congress candidate DL Ravindra Reddy, who is pitted against Jagan Mohan Reddy, in Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency.
Sources told Express that Kamalamma was in fact apprehensive of being disqualified if she stayed put in the Jagan camp. The Congress leaders, as part of their carrot and stick policy, fuelled her fears and promised a “bright future” for her in the grand old party. In other words, it meant the party ticket in 2014 elections. It’s also learnt that she was promised a few contracts.
Having “conquered” Badvel, the Congress has set its sights on Koduru legislator K Srinivasulu. Sources say the party may land him too since he has already begun exhibiting symptoms of home sickness.
–Agencies