Even as senior YSR Congress party leader and former minister Balineni Srinivas Reddy prepares to leave the party, the top leadership is reportedly making last-minute efforts to negotiate with him and persuade him to stay.
Balineni, who had a brief meeting with party president and former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday, is said to have expressed his intention to resign, citing a lack of respect and recognition within the party.
While Jagan's response to Balineni’s concerns is unclear, he reportedly sent party leaders to meet Balineni on Friday to pacify him and urge him to remain in the party.
On the same day, Balineni held a meeting with his supporters and YSRCP corporators from the Ongole Municipal Corporation in Hyderabad to discuss his future course of action.
Senior YSRCP leaders, including former minister Vidadala Rajini, visited Balineni at his residence in Hyderabad to convey Jagan's message, asking him to reconsider his decision and stay with the party.
It remains unknown what conditions Balineni might have set for his continued association with the party or what the leaders told him in response.
Based on his statements to his followers earlier in the day, indications suggest that he may not remain in the party for long.
Along with Balineni, at least 20 municipal corporators and several party leaders are expected to leave the YSRCP, with a strong possibility of them joining the Jana Sena Party in the near future.