Seniors on warpath against Kavali MLA

Nellore: Trouble is brewing in the YSR Congress in Kavali Assembly constituency following differences between Kavali legislator Ramireddy Pratap Kumar Reddy and senior YSRC leader and former legislator Katamreddy Vishnuvardhan Reddy. The senior leader has been aspiring for Kavali ticket in the next Assembly elections and is upset after some other senior leaders predicted that Mr Pratap Reddy will be the party nominee for the upcoming polls too during the party plenary meeting held at Kavali recently.

Incidentally,  Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy had been aspiring for the ticket right from the beginning but the party leadership convinced him to leave it to Mr Pratap Reddy, after assuring him of a better position in the party. Followers of Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy said they toiled for the victory of Mr Pratap Reddy but his attitude had changed after the elections.

They said he does not respond to the phone calls of Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy and that he alone takes decisions on several issues, without consulting the senior leaders even after being advised to discuss issues with party leaders before going ahead with any programme. Former legislator Vonteru Venugopal Reddy is also at loggerheads with the legislator and he too joined Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy in countering the stance of Mr Pratap Reddy.  

Some of the party functionaries tried to work out a compromise between the legislator and Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy as well as Mr Venugopal Reddy, but in vain. This has led to further differences and gap between the leaders due to Mr Pratap Reddy’s  comments that he has YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy’s support and that he would not bother about any other leader, sources in the YSRC said.

Taking advantage of the situation, TD leaders have been sending feelers to Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy to join their party immediately. In fact, TD leaders are always on the look out for YSRC leaders, who are ready to migrate, and Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy will be a prize catch because he is a force to reckon with in the Kavali segment because of his public relations for more than three decades in the region.

Sources in the YSRC said the TD assured party ticket to Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy, if he is willing to migrate. However, there was no mention about which constituency he would be given. Interestingly, former Kavali MLA Beeda Masthan Rao and his brother Beeda Ravichandra, MLC and TD district unit president, also have no objections if Mr Vishnu joined their party though they are arch rivals because it will contribute to their winning chances in the next election against Mr Pratapkumar Reddy. When contacted, YSRC district convener and Sarveypalli legislator Kakani Govardhan Reddy said they would sort out issues, if any.