Anantapur: The 35-year-old Telugu Desam citadel, Hindupur, suffered major cracks in the recent gram panchayat elections as YSRC-backed nominees bagged more than 80 per cent of gram panchayats in Hindupur Assembly segment.
In a further jolt, former MLA Pamisetty Ranganayakulu quit the party and joined YSRC despite sitting MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna’s bid to dissuade him.
Hindupur has been a TDP stronghold right from its inception in 1985 as the party founder NT Rama Rao chose and won from here thrice.
The people continued to support the party and his sons Hari Krishna and Balakrishna and also other TD candidates while Congress and other parties were pushed into oblivion. YSRC's move to field former police officer Md. Iqbal against Balakrishna came a cropper.
But, the situation today is dramatically reversed even as TDP is facing dissidence, which has had an adverse impact in the gram panchayat polls.
Even though Balakrishna stayed for a couple of days during elections, YSRC ruled the roost by winning nine of 12 gram panchayats in Lepakshi mandal; six of 13 gram panchayats in Chilamathur mandal and six against 10 in Hindupur rural mandal.
The YSRC leadership focussed its attention on Hindupur municipality and began steps to improve its position in the special grade municipality.
Ranganayakulu, a strong leader from the weavers’ community, shifted loyalties to YSRC.
“I was attracted by the welfare schemes launched by Jagan Mohan Reddy”, he said while making the move.
