Infighting in Kurnool Telugu Desam cause for concern

KURNOOL: With the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu visiting Kurnool district on Saturday, the fight between Silpa and Bhuma families has become a cause of concern for the district unit of the Telugu Desam. Notwithstanding the truce worked out by Mr Naidu between them, sporadic incidents of dissent in Nandyal Constituency has been giving headache to the party. The district unit is headed by Silpa Chakrapani Reddy, brother of former minister Silpa Mohan Reddy who is nurturing ambitions to contest from Nandyal constituency in the byelection necessitated after the demise of Bhuma Nagi Reddy.

The fight between the two families who have a considerable following in every village of the constituency has been affecting the interests of daily wage earners.
A very peculiar situation prevails in Nandyal villages where there is intense struggle betw-een the two factions over executing NREGA works. At Kanala village in Gospadu Mandal, about 400 people are employed on daily basis under the scheme. But followers of minister Bhuma Akhila Priya have objected to carrying on the works while Silpa followers want the works to continue. Assistant Project Officer (APO) Rameshwaramma was hospitalised due to high blood pressure, apparently due to this tension.

While the Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy is confined to his own constituency Pattikonda, the newly inducted minister had to find her groove among the several leaders who were sidelined by the KE faction. The internal fight has caused the party to lose MLC seat for graduate's constituency. There is a concerted effort to alienate a section of the people from occupying positions of power, said  Venakates-hwarlu, Central Disciplinary committee member.The Chief Minister is expected to set clear goals for the party in Kurnool district in view of the recent setbacks.

Amid buzz that Silpa Mohan Reddy is likely to shift loyalties to YSR Congress, the Chief Minister is closely monitoring the developments in Kurnool district, said a party functionary. The Nandyal byelection is surely going to be a contentious issue in more ways than one. As there are more contenders than could be accommodated, Naidu has to do a lot of tight rope walk in dealing with Kurnool leadership, it is learnt.