Hyderabad:
Hoping to return to power, Andhra Pradesh's main opposition Telugu Desam Party is banking on a revival of its fortunes and possible mid-term Assembly poll in the wake of the churning in state's ruling Congress following the resignation of rebel MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
"Let us be prepared for the mid-term elections. It may happen any time given the political situation," TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu reportedly told his senior colleagues at a meeting here today.
"We are closely watching the situation and getting ready for any eventuality," a TDP politburo member said after the meeting.
In the current scheme of things, actor Chiranjeevi-led Praja Rajyam Party that claims to be the third largest party in the state has nothing to cheer about.
It had to abandon its plans of joining the Kiran Kumar Reddy-led Congress government after the move was seen as a precursor to PRPs merger with Congress. PRPs image in general and Chiranjeevis in particular took a beating because of the flip-flop.
After the exit of Jagan from Congress, the constitution of the new council of ministers by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy tomorrow may cause fresh trouble for the Congress.
Jagans loyalists who are still with Congress might create more trouble if they are not suitably accommodated in the ministerial council, party leaders apprehend.
Though Kiran Kumar has tried to re-assure several former ministers and senior Congress MLAs who met him here today that there was no immediate threat to his government since CLP is intact, there is a lurking fear in the party that more than 30 MLAs might crossover to Jagans camp sooner or later.
Though none of the MLAs has so far formally quit the Congress, they are openly flaunting their loyalty towards Jagan, much to the chagrin of the party leadership, and are expected to make a move as soon as Jagan announces his new political outfit.
"In that event of the MLAs breaking away, we will have to bank on Praja Rajyam Party as well as Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and we may also require the support of some others," Kiran Kumar reportedly told a group of former ministers.
While the ruling party is wary of the crisis in its ranks, it also knows that Telangana issue is not closed yet.
In just a month, the five-member Justice Srikrishna Committee is expected to submit its report to the Centre on the separate statehood issue and the Chief Minister needs breathing time to settle down to serious business and be prepared to handle the situation.
The Chief Minister can fancy this only if there is order in the ruling party.
Kiran Kumar has another challenge in the form of winter session of the state legislature that should be convened either in the first or second week of December.
Though originally scheduled for November 29, the winter session could not be convened because of the resignation of K Rosaiah as Chief Minister and subsequent political developments.