Chaos precedes Naidu’s ‘Garjana’

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, March 11, 2014: Amid strong opposition to entry of former minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao and four other MLAs from may local leaders, party chief N Chandrababu Naidu will take part in ‘Praja Garjana’ public meeting here on Wednesday.

MLAs, Muttamsetti Srinivaa Rao, Chintalapudi Venkata Ramaiah, Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, UV Ramanamurthy Raju (Kannababu) will be joining TD at the public meeting.

The meeting is seen as the launch of poll campaign of the party in north Andhra while infusing much needed confidence to the cadre in the three districts, which has 34 assembly and 5 MP seats. Though Ganta  Srinivasa Rao joining TD is termed as ‘homecoming’, his arch rival Ayyana Patrudu has openly opposed Rao’s latest move. Ayyana Patrudu said TD which is set to regain its past glory will lose its image if turncoats and tainted persons are allowed to join the party.

Instead of giving a boost to the sagging fortunes of the party in Vizag, with the joining of 5 MLAs, it had brought many a problem to Naidu. With the recent developments TD district vice president and wife of former Anakapalle MP, Gudivada Gurunatha Rao, Nagamani and son Gudivada Amarnath had resigned from the party. They are going to join YSRCP in the presence of its chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy in Hyderabad.

 While Pendurthy MLA, Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, is planning to contest now from Vizag north, it has irked TD’s prominent face in Vizag and a Yadava leader, Bharanikana Rama Rao, who has been, nurturing hopes on the seat for more than 5 years. Similarly, Yelamanchali MLA, U V Ramanamurthy Raju, entry is also being opposed by local leaders.

Bheemili TD leaders like Raghuveer Sakuru, Appalanarasimha Raju also opposed, local MLA Muttamsetti Srinivas joining the party. They have expressed their displeasure openly, at a meeting held with Bheemili constituency leaders with party senior leader, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu two days ago. Ramakrishnudu, had to pacify them telling that issue will be taken into the notice of Naidu during his visit to Vizag.

 TD North Andhra Pradesh was once a strong bastion, for the TD, since the inception of the party by NT Rama Rao. It almost swept the polls in the three districts during polls from 1983 to 1999, polls, but the party started witnessing  the downward trend from 2004 polls and in 2009 elections, TD had won a meager 7 assembly segments in this region of the total 34 assembly constituencies spread across the three districts.

While, there are around 15 assembly segments in Vizag, TD could win only 4, of 9 in Vizanagaram party bagged only 2 and it could win only one constituency out of 10 in Srikakulam.

Meanwhile there is also last minute change in the venue. The venue of Paraja Garjana has now shifted to Indira Gandhi municipal stadium from RK beach.

Sticky points:

• Ganta’s entry is being strongly opposed by party senior leader, Ch Ayyana Patrudu.

• Bheemili leaders, Appalanarasimah Raju, Raghuveer Sakuru and others openly expressed displeasure over local MLA Muttamsetti Srinivas’s entry.

• TD’s senior leader in Vizag, Bharanikana Rama Rao, who has been nurturing hopes on Vizag North constituency seat is sore over Pendurthy MLA, Panchakarla Ramesh Babu eyeing the constituency.

• Yelamanchali MLA, U V Ramanamurthy Raju, entry is also being opposed by local leaders

• With the recent developments TD district vice president and wife of former Anakapalle MP, Gudivada Gurunatha Rao, Nagamani and son Gudivada Amarnath had resigned from the party. They are going to join YSRCP in the presence of its chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy in Hyderabad.