Andhra Pradesh: Telugu Desam on defensive over murder of their activists
Vijayawada: Following clashes between TD MLA Gottipati Ravikumar and MLC Karanam Balaram in Prakasham district, the TD has landed in defense. Karanam Balaram has sought explanation from the Chief Minister for the murder of two TD activists and his supporters.
Meanwhile, the involvement of a Cabinet minister from north coastal districts in exerting pressure over the Telangana Excise department to release Shamshabad Airport’s customs superintendent has also become a headache for TD top bosses. Both the incidents took place just a week before Mahanadu, the party’s annual plenary.
“The CM used to criticise the Congress and the YSRC for their faction politics and corrupt practices,” a senior Congress leader observed and questioned the CM as to how he would react to these murder politics and unethical practices.
Allowing the entry of Gottipati Ravi from the YSRC into the TD in Prakasham district was a blunder, a TD politburo member said, while confirming that he was neither in support of Karanam Balaram, who is known for his tyrannical politics.
The Gottipati group, which was quite submissive in the YSRC, emerged as a strong opponent group to Karanam Balaram after the defection.
Despite knowing that this would lead to disturbances and murder politics in the district, the CM ‘conveniently’ allowed the Gottipati faction to grow, the politburo member observed and added that this caused an irreparable damage to the party.
He suggested the CM to annihilate faction politics in the party, otherwise 2019 would be a disastrous year for the TD in Prakasham district.
He added that the party leadership must address the incident at Shamshabad Airport on priority basis. “This needs to be attended to immediately, as the image of the AP government has been tarnished,” he said.
