Cabinet rejig triggers rebellion in YSRC, ex-Home Minister resigns as MLA

The reconstitution of the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet triggered a rebellion in the ruling YSR Congress on an unprecedented scale as the party cadre took to the streets and organised protests in many districts.

Former Home Minister M Sucharita, who was denied a second stint, submitted her resignation as MLA. She held a meeting with the party workers in Guntur, at the same time the new Cabinet was being inducted and told them she was quitting as a legislator "due to personal reasons."

Sucharita was peeved over not being re-inducted into the Cabinet when fellow dalits like T Vanita and others were taken back. She was said to have handed over her resignation letter to Rajya Sabha member Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, who went to her residence in Guntur to placate her. Sucharita, however, claimed she was not unhappy over not getting a second chance and maintained she would continue in the party.

Another former minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, who was the first to trigger the rebellion on Sunday, sent a message to the YSRC leadership that he would step down from his MLA post. Balineni's supporters organised road blockades in Ongole and some other parts of Prakasam district, demanding that he be re-inducted into the Cabinet. Elected representatives of local bodies, including the Ongole Municipal Corporation, threatened to quit their posts if Balineni was not made a minister again.

On Sunday, YSRC general secretary S R K Reddy visited Balineni's residence in Vijayawada twice and held talks but failed to pacify the leader. On Monday again, Reddy came rushing to Balineni as the latter decided to make a public announcement of his resignation plan.

Three other legislators were also closeted with Balineni in a bid to mollify him but the former minister was said to have remained firm in his resolve to quit. Balineni, a relative of the Chief Minister, was among the first to resign as a minister from the Kiran Kumar Reddy Cabinet and the Congress party and join the YSRC floated by Jagan Mohan Reddy.

In Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao district, followers of Jaggaiahpet MLA Samineni Udayabhanu burnt a two-wheeler and tyres and staged a rasta-roko, blocking traffic on the busy National Highway-65, protesting the denial of the Cabinet berth for their leader. He was denied a berth because of a "coterie" around Jagan Mohan Reddy, Udayabhanu lamented.

In neighbouring Krishna district, MP Venkata Ramana met disgruntled MLA K Parthasarathy to pacify the latter after his followers organised protests. In Palnadu district, four-time MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy went incommunicado, sulking over denial of ministership even as his supporters held protests in Macherla constituency.

In Anakapalli district, senior legislator Karanam Dharma Sri's supporters staged a rasta-roko but he asked them to desist from organising any protests against the party interests. Dharma Sri, however, turned emotional and said he was upset over being overlooked for a Cabinet post.