Andhra Pradesh’s Health Minister Dr Kamineni Srinivas, though technically is a BJP’s MLA, for all practical purposes he is said to be functioning as TDP leader. For convenience sake though he had contested as BJP candidate in 2014, joining the party at the end of nominations stage, now he is said to be determined to contest as TDP candidate in 2019 polls. In political circles, he is known as accidentally his `body is present in BJP’, but always his `heart remains with TDP’.
In 2014 he had aggressively attempted to contest as TDP candidate unseating sitting TDP MLA J Venkata Ramana. However, as Ramana threatened that he would contest as rebel candidate, if the party denies him re-nomination, some senior TDP leaders makes Srinivas as BJP candidate with the active support from union minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
Actually Kamineni was with TDP since its inception. During N T Rama Rao’s regime he was party’s MLC. As for him to remain in power is important for the interests of his `business lobbies’. Later he had shifted to Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party and contested as its candidate in 2009 polls, only to be defeated.
After 2014 polls, without any formal request from BJP, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has inducted him into his cabinet as `BJP’s representative’. In political circles, it is known that Srinivas’s loyalties are confined to Chandrababu Naidu and Venkaiah Naidu only.
Now, with an intention to contest as TDP candidate, he is making efforts to persuade Chandrababu Naidu to send former MLA Venkata Ramana to the Legislative Council. That makes him lone contender for the seat in TDP. Recently his bondage with TDP went to the extent of getting suspension of Mandal Parishad President Bandi Sathyavathi from BJP, as she refused to resign after completion of half of her term, so that to pave way for TDP’s candidate, in his constituency.
According to BJP sources, a detailed report was submitted to party chief Amit Shah stating how his activities are turning detrimental to party’s interests. He is not even showing interest on BJP membership in his constituency and not entertaining any BJP worker. He makes TDP leaders’ incharges for each mandal, Local BJP leaders deplored that the minister attends works suggested by TDP cadre, but hardly bothers about BJP cadre.
