Launching first political assault on Telugu Desam Party, the BJP asked the ruling party to stop concentrating on ‘Operation Akarsh’ and start to akarsh the people instead.

This is for the first time, Andhra Pradesh BJP leaders, made the defections into TDP their target and is seen as a direct attack on the basic political line being pursued aggressively by chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Party MLC Somu Virraju advised Naidu to concentrate more on the governance rather than “operation Akarsh. ” People have given you mandate to govern the state not the TDP party. The ruling party should Akarsh the people not the MLAs. The prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing. Bengal gram is selling at Rs 200 a kg. Ruling party should think of things beneficial to the people not to the ruling party,” he said in Vijayawada.

In fact, this is the extension of line taken by Vishnu Kumar Raju, BJP floor leader in Assembly. In what looks like a significant change of policy, the BJP floor leader turned against chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Raju, who represents, Vizag in Assembly, is more-loyal-than-the-king type MLA in House. No Telugu Desam MLA, including Ravela Kishore Babu, is match to Raju in defending Chandrababu Naidu and in tongue-lashing at opposition leader Jaganmohan Reddy.

He declared in Vijayawada today that BJP was opposed to defections. He clearly said BJP doesn’t approve of defections. That the accusation is pointed towards TDP supremo Naidu is clear. Because the party which is admitting MLAs from other parties is TDP, and the loser is opposition YSRC . This must sound music to the years Jagan’s party.

For the past one week, BJP leaders in the state, have intensified their attack on TDP. This coincides with the Jagan’s meetings with union home minister Rajnath Sigh and finance minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi.

So far the BJP’s confined its attack against to TDP to the discrepancy in the release of central assistance to Andhra Pradesh and alleged diversion,demanding more projects for Rayalaseema, proper accounting of central assistance, special status etc. They never touched upon the politics which is a sensitive issue given the fragile relations between the two parties. Today they broke the barrier.