- Cabinet Rank
- Chandrababu Naidu
- Leader of Opposition
- Mandali Buddha Prasad
- TDLP
- Vallabhaneni Vamsi
Former chief minister and TDP president Chandrababu Naidu is now the Leader of Opposition (LoP) with 23 MLAs for the party.
He was given a chamber as LoP and the TD Legislature Party (TDLP) too was given another chamber.
Naidu, as LoP, also enjoys Cabinet rank and his PS was given a third chamber, which were used by the former deputy speaker, Mandali Buddha Prasad, in the TDP regime.
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy said during the last budget session that Naidu would lose his LoP status if the ruling party opened its gates for the TDP MLAs to defect.
“You will lose your LoP status in no time. Your MLAs are in touch with us,” was what Jaganmohan Reddy told the TDP chief on the floor of the Assembly.
Now, Gannavaram TDP MLA, Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan, had met the chief minister along with Ministers Kodali Nani and Perni Nani.
The deal was finalised and Vamsi would be resigning to the TDP and the MLA seat as well after Diwali.
According to the available information, there are more than a dozen TDP MLAs, who are waiting for Jagan Mohan Reddy’s clearance to cross the fence. The only issue is to resign and seek re-election.
Jaganmohan Reddy, who was initially not interested in encouraging defections, is now understood to have made up his mind to empty the TDP.
The chief minister and his party leaders are not happy with the way Chandrababu Naidu is politicking every issue, with the help of his media.
The chief minister had now made up his mind to show Naidu his place in the State politics by accepting the at least a dozen TDP MLAs to quit and join the party. Most of them would seek re-election from their respective constituencies.
According to the sources, there are positive signals from several MLAs, except Balakrishna, Atchannaidu, Bhavani and Gadde Ramamohan, who are firm on continuing with Chandrababu Naidu.
It this happens, Naidu would be left with four MLAs in the 175-member Assembly and he would thus lose his LoP status and his chambers.
As the ruling party is preparing for the winter session of the Assembly in December, the party leaders are confident that the TDP chief would miss his status and chambers too.
