Nellore: Notwithstanding doubts of partymen over possible rift between ministers P. Narayana and Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy after the latter was given ministerial berth, both the leaders have been operating in their own space to avoid projecting any differences though they were at loggerheads in the past. Much to the surprise of the TD leaders and cadres, the two ministers have been displaying cordial relations allegedly in view of advice laced with a warning by the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for coordination among all the party leaders to win all the 10 seats in 2019 since YSRC had bagged 7 seats in 2014 elections.
Both the ministers have been conducting reviews with officials without crossing lines although the officials are grumbling over these reviews alleging that the meetings have been taking lion’s share of their working hours. “The CM strongly feels that the party would have secured three more seats in 2014 had the leaders buried their hatchet and picked up strong candidates at least three years before the elections,” a TD functionary said. He said the leaders had never bothered to project proper candidates for Nellore Rural, Nellore city, Gudur and Atmakur in 2014 and the confusion till the last minute over the candidates for Nellore Rural and Sarveypalli constituencies had resulted in losing both the seats to the YSRC.
In fact, Mr Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy was aspiring for Nellore Rural seat instead of his home segment, Sarveypalli, but he was forced to enter the fray from Sarveypalli because the TD alliance partner BJP had staked its claim for Nellore Rural seat. The high command wants to put an end to such a situation now and they do not want a repeat of 2014 in 2019.
Incidentally, the ruling party has been facing new problems this time because of lack of understanding between the TD old guard and migrants from the Congress and YSR Congress. The differences are acute in Nellore Rural, Gudur and Atmakur segments because of the entry of Anam brothers in Nellore and Atmakur and YSRC legislator Pasam Suneel Kumar in Gudur.
“There are strict instructions to the ministers and party leaders to sail together without any differences since the TD high command does not want to take any chances in 2019 elections” a senior TD leader said. The TD president wants all the leaders to work in coordination to strengthen the party.
