Differences Among TD Leaders Amid Bus Yatra

ANANTAPUR: Differences between leaders or groups in Telugu Desam have affected the party’s Madakasira Bus Yatra programme in Anantapur district. The district units of Anantapur and Satya Sai have not fixed the date for the event as a dissident group gave an ultimatum.

Though the party has a strong hold over several segments of erstwhile Anantapur district, a problem is many leaders are aspiring to get the party tickets for the Assembly polls.

The Madakasira Assembly segment witnessed a stand-off between former MLA K. Eeranna and party incharge Gundumala Thippeswamy for the past few years. Thippeswarmy, who was formerly a close aide of ex-APCC chief N. Raghuveera Reddy, had joined the TD and got an MLC post. Eeranna who has been with the TD for the past three decades has differences with Thippeswamy. Both these groups are trying to have the upper hand in this Assembly segment.

Both the leaders were taking part in the party’s bus yatra that started in Kadiri and would cover the areas that Nara Lokesh had not visited during his Yuvagalam padayatra a few weeks ago.

Sources said the Thippeswamy group cadres gave an ultimatum to the TD central leadership that they wouldn’t be a part of the bus yatra if the Eeranna group was encouraged in Madakasira segment. The yatra was scheduled to be in Madakasira after completion of the tour of Penukonda. But sources said it was postponed for a future date following differences between the two groups in the party.

TD chief Chandrababu Naidu reportedly announced the candidature of Eeranna a few months ago during a party meeting in Vijayawada. But, the rival group was quick to demand that some others be fielded.

However, Eeranna continued with his activities by keeping a distance from the rival group.

Meanwhile, TD cadres clashed in Penukonda where the former MP Ramachandra Reddy’s daughter Sabitha was given a high pedestal in the yatra. The Satya Sai district president, B.K. Parathasarathi, who was from Penukonda, was expecting an MLA ticket again, while Sabitha too is in the race. She has engaged herself in several social activities and is organising an Anna Canteen at Penukonda for the past three months.

TD leaders faced an embarrassing situation at Penukonda on Sunday when, during the bus yatra, the rival groups clashed. In addition, former MP Nimmala Kristappa, the only leader from the weavers community in the state and who remained silent for the past few years, is back in the news. He is expecting a ticket for the Hindupur Lok Sabha ticket.

A peculiar situation prevailed in Dharmavaram where slain Paritiala Ravindra’s son Sriram was acting as party in charge and hoping to get the MLA ticket while his mother aims to continue from Rapthadu assembly segment.

BJP leader G Suryanarayana, who had tried to rejoin TD, is now making efforts to get the Dharmavarama seat in alliance with the TD.  As Suryanarayana  had disputes with Paritala Sriram, his efforts for a ticket from the BJP gained public attention. The TD has to leave at least a few seats to the BJP if an alliance between the TD and the BJP materialises.

In Singanamala, the party incharge Bandaru Shravani succeeded in resisting former APCC president Dr Sake Sailajanath who tried to appease the TD leadership and get a seat in the upcoming polls. Former minister and Congress leader Sailajanath reportedly tried to join the TD but couldn't get positive signals from the party’s leaders from Singanamala, sources said.