Firebrand YSR Congress Party legislator R K Roja alleged that the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh lacked "magallu" (men), and was hence encouraging defections to get them from her party.
Extending support to a protest program demanding a railway zone for Visakhapatnam, she fumed at the ruling party for promoting defections. She told the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu that if he had the guts and was a son of Rayalaseema, he should ask the defectors to resign immediately and face elections.
"Since the TDP lacks competent men, its leadership is encouraging poaching and continuing Operation Akarsh," Roja charged.
Roja also accused Naidu of dumping the people for his own interests in not pressing the Centre on the new railway zone.
"Afraid of repercussions from the 'Note-For-Vote' scam, the TDP government is not demanding that the Centre implement the bifurcation act, and is maintaining silence on the State's interests," she stated.