Cycle driverless in Karimnagar

Karimnagar: The TD (Telugu Desam) that once ruled in erstwhile Karimnagar district is struggling to make its presence felt in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Barring one or two leaders, none of the leaders are contesting nor supporting any candidate in the district.

In 2009, the TD won five Assembly segments-Karimnagar, Vemulawada, Peddapalli, Choppadandi and Jagtial. However, after the formation of separate Telangana state, four of the candidates, Gangula Kamalakar who won from Karimnagar and Ch. Ramesh Babu from Vemulawada joined the TRS. L. Vijaya Ramana Rao who won from Peddapalli and Suddala Devaiah from Choppadandi joined the Congress. L. Ramana who won from Jagtial constituency is the only one left in the party fold.

What worked earlier in the favour of the TD was that it focused on the BC community in Telangana which gave it a strong foothold in the region. With the Telangana movement the situation changed.

Moreover Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's policy of ‘Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are my two eyes’ also cost the party.

In addition, the TRS from its inception systematically targeted the TD. The massive negative campaign against the TD during statehood agitation affected the party. The cash-for-vote scandal also was a nail in the coffin resulting in the TD losing its grip in the state.

The party’s state unit president L. Ramana and senior leader Peddi Reddy are the only two leaders hailing from the district present in the TD at the moment.  
In the recently held general body meeting in Karimnagar, party cadre have alleged that the state leadership utterly failed in strengthening the party. The party has not taken up any activity for the welfare of the people or even tried to resolve their issues.

A TD leader on condition of anonymity said, “Karimnagar was once the stronghold of the TD. The party is now struggling for its existence as almost the entire leadership have switched loyalties to other parties. The state leadership needs to strengthen itself as it has cadre and well-wishers in the district.” Presently the cadre is completely demoralised. Because of TD district unit president Ambati Joji Reddy, the party still is trying to make its presence in the district felt, he added.

Political analysts say that there is no space either in the district or in Telangana for the TD. The party has also realised this and is focusing on Andhra Pradesh.

The party strategically choose not to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana. A poor performance in the LS polls would have an adverse impact on the party in the coming local body polls, he added.