Unity a far cry at TRS Sattupalli meeting

Khammam: While the TRS high command is trying to foster unity among its leaders by addressing the internal party issues, the dissent leaders are not in a mood to respond. They are evolving counter-strategies and in a mood to expose their agony at the right time.

The unity in TRS in Khammam district is likely to be a mirage as three important leaders -- former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, former MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao and party leader Pidamarthi Ravi – kept themselves off the party meeting held at Sattupalli on Friday.

The TRS mega meet saw two Rajya Sabha MPs, Vaddiraju Ravichandra and Bandi Parthasarathy Reddy, being felicitated. Former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy made his presence at the 11th hour and waved his hands at the gathering from the dais. He wanted to skip the programme, but changed his mind at the last minute, sources said.

Former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao was very much at his village Gandugulapalli in Dammapet mandal on Friday. He received an invitation from both Rajya Sabha MPs, V Ravichandra and B Parthasarathy Reddy. Significantly, he did not get a call from Sattupalli MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, who organised the meeting.

Notably, it was MLC and Rythu Bandu Samithi state president Palla Rajeswara Reddy, known to be the right-hand of KCR, who sought to achieve unity among the party leaders in Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts. MLC and Khammam district TRS president T Madhusudan and government whip and Bhadradri district TRS president Rega Kantha Rao worked hard to make the programme a success in Sattupalli.

Pidamarthi Ravi, a student leader in the second phase of the T-movement who contested as TRS candidate from Sattupalli also skipped the meeting.

These leaders had their reservations on attending the meeting, as they protested against the concept of the party high command “Jo Jeethai Hai, Vo Sikander.” They are angry over the chief minister ignoring them once they lost the elections.

Former MLA Jalagam Venkata Rao was not showing interest in attending any meeting in Bhadradri district.

The TRS MLAs and the zilla parishad chairman, among those who attended the meeting, had given more weight to the two Rajya Sabha MPs than to an invitation to the TRS party’s district president. It is known that two MPs extended financial assistance to these MLAs during the elections.