Group politics hits TDP in Prakasam district

Nellore: TD senior leaders of Prakasam district strongly feel that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s failure to deal firmly with warring groups in the party is responsible for anarchy in the Prakasam district unit of Telugu Desam.

Though the CM is well aware about the disturbances between Addanki legislator Gottipati Ravikumar and TD strongman Karanam Balaram ever since Mr Ravikumar migrated into the party from the YSRC, he soft peddled the issue and advised both leaders to adjust.

He offered MLC post to Mr Balaram under the impression that the balancing act would put an end to factions. However, the differences never died down and the popular feeling among the party cadres is that the recent twin murders in Vemavaram village in Prakasam district would not have taken place if the CM had issued a stern warning to both the groups.

TD circles said the groups are thwarting the development initiatives by their rivals in the party and the damage to the party is enormous not only in Addanki but also in Chirala, Kandukur, and Giddalur constituencies.

Sitting legislator Amanchi Krishnamoorthy, who won as independent and migrated to the TD, is at loggerheads with TD leader Potula Suneeta group at Chirala.

Similarly differences are to the fore between Kandukur legislator Pothula Rama Rao and TD senior leader Divi Sivaram in Kandukuru segment.

The situation is no different at Giddalur in view of gap between legislator M. Ashok Reddy and Anna Rambabu. Both Mr Ramarao and Mr Ashok Reddy switched over to the TD from the YSRC.

In case of Addanki, the situation is such that Mr Balaram, after the brawl with Gottipati group on Tuesday, said they will not allow the dominance of Gottipati in Addanki segment.

Alleging that the legislator is responsible for allotting welfare schemes to several YSR Congress men, he said they will not keep quiet if any injustice is done to TD loyalists.

He said the TD cadres and leaders are still doing the rounds to courts because of cases filed by the Congress leaders during decade- long Congress rule while pointing to Gottipati’s role behind it.

A senior police officer said the CM had invited Mr Ravikumar after Mr Balaram and his son failed to win against the former during three consecutive elections. He made it clear to the Karanam family to adjust with Gottipati but they are in no mood to do so, the officer said.

Meanwhile, police intensified patrolling in all sensitive parts of Addanki constituency on Wednesday in view of fallout between Gottipati and Karanam groups at Ongole on Tuesday.