As CBI grills Jagan, Congress scrambles to prevent further defections

                                                                                       

Congress leaders scrambled to prevent further desertion after one more legislator from Bobbili, R.V.S.K. Ranga Rao, joined the YSR Congress Party even while its president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was being grilled by the CBI for the second successive day here on Saturday. He has been asked to appear before the CBI for questioning once again on Sunday.

PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana, who was embarrassed by the defection of an MLA from his native Vizianagaram district, went into fire-fighting mode by contacting other legislators who might cross over to the Jagan camp. He despatched post haste, the district in-charge Ministers to get in touch with the MLAs to convince them to remain in the party fold.

These MLAs, mostly those who sailed with Mr. Jagan before voting on the no-confidence motion in November last, hail from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, East and West Godavari, Krishna, Prakasam, Guntur, Kurnool, Kadapa and Nalgonda. Even as the ruling party was recovering from the shock of desertion by Eluru MLA Alla Nani on Friday, Mr. Ranga Rao, who is serving his third term as MLA, called on YSR Congress honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma and later Mr. Jagan at their Lotus Pond residence here.

Sensing Mr. Ranga Rao's move, a Minister Kondru Murali and N. Santosh Reddy, younger brother of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, intercepted him at the Hyderabad airport when he landed here from Visakhapatnam. They tried hard to make him change his mind and even made him speak on phone to the Chief Minister.

Mr. Ranga Rao was, however, unwilling to oblige and reportedly stated that he was given a short shrift by the Congress leadership in spite of being a senior MLA.

Adding to the woes of the Congress party, dissident MP from Anakapalli Sabbam Hari went on record saying that a few more MLAs would join the YSRCP in the next couple of days.

Before leaving for questioning by the CBI, Mr. Jagan disclosed to a television channel that he was getting feelers from Congress and TDP MLAs about their willingness to join his party. But he would be choosy about whom to admit.

In Guntur, TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu claimed that desertions from his party would not have any effect. The Congress leaders tried to play down the desertions as Mr. Murali and Chief Whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy and Whip Anil Kumar said no MLA was joining the YSR Congress, as it was a sinking party.

from Hindu