Jolt to Naidu: Dadi meets Ganta, triggers talk on exit from TD

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, April 12, 2013: If speculations are to be believed it’s a major jolt to TD Chief N Chandrabbau Naidu, as he walked into Vizag during his walkathon ‘Vasthunna Meekosam’, as party senior leader, Dadi Veerabhadhra Rao held a closed door meeting with ports and infrastructure minister, Ganta Srinivasa Rao here on Friday and reportedly expressed his intention to join the grand old party.

The meeting lasted for around half an hour at the government circuit house and speculations are rife in the political circles here in Vizag that the estranged TD leader, Dadi Veerabhadhra Rao who openly burst out at Naidu for denying to re nominate him as MLC, has been sulking, keeping away from the party activities and not interested in continuing in TD.

His term would be ending on May 2 and his meeting with Srinivasa Rao gave enough fodder to the rumour mills. 

The leader of opposition in legislative council, Rao, on March 10 in Hyderabad openly criticized Naidu’s leadership stating ‘poor’ BCs doesn’t have space in the party and he had waited like a dog to meet his leader, during the politburo meeting held on March 9 in Krishna district.

“I was waiting outside his bus like a dog. Yet, he didn’t even have the minimum courtesy to call me in and inform me. We, the poor BCs look for some self respect not posts. I should have been informed well in advance about the party’s decision to replace me with Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.” said Rao immediately after the news broke that he was denied MLC seat.

Rao also said he was deeply hurt for not denying renomination, but due to the humiliation caused to him by not conveying it in a proper manner. Dadi’s last month’s open criticism had left local cadres in disarray. Many activists in Anakapalli, Dadi’s stronghold said to have threatened to resign from the party.

On Friday morning both Srinivasa Rao and Dadi Veerbhadhra Rao came out with smiling faces after the meeting. “I met the minister only for sanction of funds for the developmental activities in Anakapalle. We have also discussed about allotting place for setting up TD founder NT Rama Rao’s statue in Anakapalle. There is nothing more to our meeting,” said Dadi Veerabhadra Rao.

Political analysts, however, observed that Dadi would add strength to Congress which lost a strong leader from the ‘Gavara’ community strong in Anakapalle, Konatala Ramakrishna to YSR Congress.

Interestingly Veerabhadra Rao’s son, Dadi Ratnakar, who is TD district unit, president, is actively taking part in making arrangements for Naidu’s pada yatra, which would continue in Vizag for the next 12 days and end on April 27.